After trading down from No. 87 with the San Francisco 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings selected USC CB Mekhi Blackmon at No. 102 overall. The pick, which was the final selection on day two, was announced by former Vikings first round pick in 1993 Robert Smith.
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.
Mekhi Blackmon is a CB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 7.44 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 567 out of 2212 CB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/6CgZqYvQTP pic.twitter.com/PUfPhyANnG
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 14, 2023
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.
Only CBs with 85+ grades in both man & zone coverage last season:
⚔️ Mekhi Blackmon
🟠 Devon Witherspoon pic.twitter.com/2jyht4MDLj— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 19, 2023
Throughout the night, we will have more analysis on the selection of Blackmon, who was the second USC Trojan drafted by the Vikings in the 2023 NFL draft.