Vikings Select USC CB Mekhi Blackmon With Pick No. 102 in Third Round

Blackmon is an older prospect who visited the Vikings at TCOPC earlier this month.

The Vikings have selected USC cornerback Mekhi Blackmon with the No. 102 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the final pick in Friday night's third round.

Blackmon, like teammate Jordan Addison (the Vikings' first round pick), met with the Vikings on an official top 30 visit earlier in April. He now joins a cornerback room that includes Byron Murphy Jr., Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, and Joejuan Williams. Corner was a clear need for Minnesota after losing Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley to free agency.

Blackmon is an older prospect, having turned 24 in March. An overlooked recruit coming out of high school, he started his college career at a junior college, the College of San Mateo. Blackmon then spent four seasons at Colorado before transferring to USC for his final year of eligibility.

Last year, Blackmon broke out with a strong season for the Trojans, recording 66 tackles, three interceptions, and 12 passes defended across 14 games. He attended the Senior Bowl and clearly impressed the Vikings during his visit to TCO Performance Center.

Blackmon, not unlike Addison, is undersized at 5'11", 178 pounds. He's got a quick first step, posting an elite 1.47 ten-yard split in the 40. That's a trait the Vikings have prioritized since Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took over as GM.

The scouting report on Blackmon is that he plays with toughness and ball skills, but needs technical improvement and had some issues with penalties in his college career.

From The Athletic's Dane Brugler:

A fluid athlete with average size, Blackmon has seen a lot of football, and it shows with his anticipation and confidence to be disruptive in coverage (allowed only one reception of 20-plus yards on 63 targets in 2022). Though he tends to play too physically, NFL coaches will appreciate his mental and competitive toughness at the position, especially in the run game. Overall, Blackmon will sacrifice coverage phase and attract flags when he doesn’t trust his technique, but he is instinctive and aggressive playing the ball in the air. He projects best on the perimeter with man-to-man responsibilities.     

Blackmon was 185th on the analyst consensus big board, but earned a 90.6 grade from Pro Football Focus last season. He could have a chance to compete for snaps right away.

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