Colts Biggest Surprise of the Offseason?

Who is the surprise player of the offseason for the Indianapolis Colts?
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The Indianapolis Colts have made a lot of changes in the offseason. They've made a change at head coach and brought in a whopping-12 draft picks among other changes.

With so many new faces at OTAs and mini camp, asking who has been the biggest surprise of the offseason can bring a host of responses.

ESPN attempted to answer that question for every NFL team with their legion of beat writers, and they tabbed safety Julian Blackmon as the Colts' biggest surprise.

Julian Blackmon was around the ball in OTAs, a sign he still possesses the playmaking ability the Colts drafted him for in Round 3 in 2020. But it also provides evidence that Blackmon's move from free safety to strong safety is well conceived. The Colts changed from a split safety to single-high safety concept last season, making Blackmon less impactful at his former position. 

Indianapolis has moved him to strong safety, where his instincts and tackling ability might be seen on a more regular basis. The permanent move of Blackmon also allows the Colts to keep 2022 seventh-round pick Rodney Thomas II on the field (at free safety) after his surprising rookie season. -- Stephen Holder, Colts Beat Writer, ESPN

As a rookie, Blackmon started 14 games and had two interceptions with six passes defensed. The last two seasons he combined for just 17 starts with one interception and three passes defensed.

He recorded a season-high 50 tackles last season, but his coverage numbers fell off from his rookie season. 

Blackmon turns 25 in August and forms one of the younger safety tandems in the NFL with Thomas (25). 

He's in the final year of his rookie deal and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Blackmon's rise couldn't come at a better time for him or the Colts who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022.


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