The Minnesota Vikings surprised a lot of NFL draft observers by picking USC’s Mekhi Blackmon at the end of the third round on Friday night. The Vikings turned Blackmon from a Day 3 selection to a Day 2 pick. Blackmon thereby surpassed his projected position by a large margin, making him possibly the biggest riser on the whole draft board.
Vikings Wire had more on the story:
“Blackmon was a talented player in the secondary for the Trojans and has some of the measurables that the Vikings prioritize. The most notable one is the 10-yard split where Blackmon’s 1.47 second split is in the 98.5th percentile,” Tyler Forness wrote.
“His size leaves some to be desired, especially weighing only 178 lbs. Pro Football Focus had Blackmon ranked as one of only two players in college football last year with grades of 85 or higher in both man and zone coverage.”
Much more on this story in the coming days, but for now, enjoy the insights and reactions to Blackmon’s draft selection when it made headlines on Friday: