MB #29

Mekhi Blackmon

Cornerback · USC

A third-round pick who transferred from Colorado to USC for a breakout final college season, Mekhi Blackmon is still working to fully recover from a torn ACL.

Mekhi Blackmon looked like a rising cornerback in Minnesota until a training camp ACL tear derailed his momentum. Now with the Colts after an offseason trade, he's trying to rediscover the form that made him a third-round pick out of USC.

★ Third-round pick, 2023 NFL Draft (No. 102 overall)

★ Led USC cornerbacks with three interceptions in his lone season with the Trojans (2022)

Path to the league

Blackmon spent four seasons at Colorado before transferring to USC for his final year of eligibility in 2022, where he became the Trojans' top cornerback with 66 tackles, 13 passes defended, three interceptions and a forced fumble. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the third round (No. 102 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

As a rookie in 2023, Blackmon played in 15 games with three starts for Minnesota, recording 41 tackles, eight passes defensed, one interception and a fumble recovery. His promising trajectory was interrupted when he suffered a season-ending ACL injury at the start of 2024 training camp.

2025 season recap

Still working back from the ACL injury, Blackmon struggled to reclaim his old form in Vikings training camp, working mostly with the second-team defense behind newcomers Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah. Minnesota traded him before the regular season began, and he's now looking for a fresh start with a new defense.