It may have been a bit surprising to see the Indianapolis Colts select a safety in the third round who is currently undergoing rehab for a torn ACL, but Julian Blackmon is a prospect the front office was enamored with.
Despite the seemingly early selection of Blackmon, the Colts wanted to make sure they grabbed him as they felt he wouldn’t be available the next time they were on the clock.
What drew the Colts to the Utah product was what he put on tape. He showed plenty of versatility, athleticism and playmaking abilities in the eyes of Matt Terpening, the assistant director of college scouting for the Colts.
“He decided to stay in school, which was the right move for him, and they moved him to safety and he had a lights-out senior season,” Terpening said via Phillip B. Wilson of Sports Illustrated. “He really jumps off the tape. He’s got versatility, he’s got speed, and he can cover.”
Blackmon played cornerback for the majority of his collegiate career before requesting a switch to safety. Though his instincts need developing, a trait that improves with reps, Blackmon offers high upside for the Colts in the defensive backfield.
Indy sees a player who can work in various spots on all three downs while providing the ball skills and movement skills to work deep or underneath.
“The NFL is about trends and I think the trend in the NFL is you’ve got to get defensive players who can man cover and turn the ball over,” said Terpening. “He’s a three-down player. He can play the run. He can play the pass. He can match up with different wideouts. And he can play in the post. That’s what drew us to him.”
Blackmon won’t get on the field likely until September and the Colts aren’t really expecting him to make an impact until October at the earliest because of his ACL recovery.
But when he does return, the Colts are excited about what he can bring to the safety room alongside Malik Hooker and Khari Willis.