The Indianapolis Colts didn’t care that former Utah safety Julian Blackmon tore his ACL in December and is four months into post-surgery rehab. They figured drafting him in the third round would be viewed as too early, but it didn’t influence their decision at all.
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In fact, it is likely that Blackmon might not even make an impact on the field until October. The Colts saw an opportunity to grab what they believe is a high upside prospect despite the injury, and they didn’t want to take a chance letting him go past the third round.
“I didn’t want to lose him behind us. We thought there was a chance he would be there in the third. We were worried that he wouldn’t be there in the fourth,” said Chris Ballard after Day 2 of the draft. “He’s got the ACL injury, we know that he won’t be ready probably until late August, early September which means that he might not even really help us until October.”
Many were confused at the pick given the fact that his ACL tear was so recent. But the Colts see a lot of upside in the former Utes defensive back. After reviewing what tape I could find on Blackmon and without the benefit of All-22—which makes things difficult—the Colts do have a high-ceiling prospect in Blackmon.
Strengths
Blackmon is a rangy athlete who moves well. He has fluid movement skills and plenty of athleticism. All of that shows up on tape. He shows elite closing speed and had he not torn his ACL preventing him to test at the combine, he likely would have tested well.
The burst and acceleration he brings to the field is apparent upon the first viewing of Blackmon on the field. He has also flashed some solid instincts, though that part of his game still needs developing.
That said, it is apparent on tape that he has the ability to recognize and diagnose plays early while using his elite closing speed and fluid movements to make impact plays.
Looking at the play above, Blackmon recognizes quickly that the flat route is opening up. He uses that elite closing speed to quickly get upfield and makes a perfect tackle driving through the ball carrier’s belt. These plays aren’t littered throughout his film but doing this as a first-year safety shows there is immense upside as he keeps developing his instincts.
Playing fast is the name of Blackmon’s game. He shows a lot of aggressiveness and while it would be nice to see more of it when it comes to making tackles, he isn’t afraid to make a big play when it’s needed.
On this 3rd&4 inside the red zone, Oregon tries some misdirection. Blackmon does a strong job not overcomitting and sticking to his zone and even though Penei Sewell is 120 pounds heavier, Blackmon comes in hot to make the third-down stop.
When looking at Blackmon’s strengths, it’s easy to see how he fits with the Colts. He’s versatile, fluid and electric while showing the upside to be a solid safety when his instincts and recognition fully develop.
Weaknesses
Having converted from cornerback to safety after spending three years playing the former, Blackmon’s game is plenty raw. There are times when his instincts fail him and his angles to the ball carrier are poor. He has solid technique when tackling, but it seems the aggressiveness in going after ball carriers is sometimes lacking.
All of these things can be coached, and Blackmon is an extremely coachable prospect. So there are no worries that he can’t improve on them while doing so rather quickly.
One of the biggest weaknesses in Blackmon’s game, however, is his ball tracking skills on deep passes. He has solid ball skills when getting to the catch point and making a play on the ball, but it’s getting there that is at times the issue.
And when I say tracking skills, this is a prime example. Single-high at the top. This has to be better. Awareness, tracking, getting to the catch point
But also Michael Pittman… pic.twitter.com/h5T9i5ykPm
— Kevin Hickey (@KevinHickey11) April 28, 2020
Another example below and I know, without the All-22 we really don’t know what happened on this play down the field. But as the deep safety on the near hash, this cannot happen. Again, we don’t know where Blackmon got tangled up, but the fact that he had to make up so much ground on the deep ball likely means he was a part of blown coverage.
Conclusion
While the selection in the third round may have been slightly early. The Colts really like Blackmon and the reasons why make it somewhat okay. Though he’s raw and needs to further develop his instincts and tracking skills, there is a lot of upside here.
Blackmon has flashed plenty of encouraging plays that show he can be a versatile piece in the defense. He can line up all over the secondary and while using his athleticism, closing speed and strong tackling technique, he can turn into a solid starter once his instincts and tracking skills fully develop.
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