The Indianapolis Colts traded back from their original spot in the third round to add more picks for later in the 2020 NFL draft. With their new pick in the third round (No. 85), they wound up selecting former Utah safety Julian Blackmon.
A converted cornerback, Blackmon has one season of safety experience under his belt. His smooth movement skills and elite tackling ability should make him a solid developmental prospect for the Colts once he returns from his torn ACL recovery.
Blackmon offers plenty of upside for the Colts if they can get his development going on the right track.
Before the draft, here is what notable analysts and pundits had to say about Blackmon entering the draft:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide): “A three-year starter at Utah, Blackmon was the starting strong safety in Scalley’s 4-2-5 base scheme. With the Utes graduating Marquise Blair and Corrion Ballard, Blackmon moved to safety after playing cornerback his first three seasons in Salt Lake City, performing like a draftable player. Blackmon is a basketball athlete with natural field range and ball skills that help him cover ground. He is still connecting the dots as a safety, struggling at times to find the ball in flight and make plays over the receiver. Overall, Blackmon needs to continue to develop his eye discipline and consistency at safety to be trusted as the last line of defense, but his athleticism and character make him an ideal mid-round project for an NFL defensive coaching staff.”
Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network: “Julian Blackmon projects as a developmental starter in a defense that utilizes a lot of split safety coverage. Blackmon’s plus tackling skills are best implemented from a Strong Safety role but he offers enough man to man ability as a former corner to stay on the field in sub-package situations as well. Blackmon will need patience as he continues to acclimate to playing deeper portions of the field and early play may bring some headaches as he irons out spacing inconsistencies.”
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “While Blackmon displayed some inconsistencies in recognition and ball tracking in his first season at safety, the move clearly gives him his best chance to become a pro. The former cornerback has soft hands and carryover route-anticipation that should allow him to match against tight ends as a pro. He can play split safety, big nickel or help support the run as a down safety. His field recognition and angles to the football are still behind from his new position, but he should keep getting better. His December knee injury will push him down the draft board, but he has the traits and talent to make it in the league.”
Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: “Blackmon is intriguing with his background as a cornerback and versatility in the secondary, but he must improve his strength and his read-and-react skills to crack a starting lineup. With a question surrounding his knee injury due to a lack of predraft workouts or physicals, Blackmon could be found later in the draft than expected given his potential to work into the lineup as a third safety or nickel cover man.”
Patrick Conn, Draft Wire: “Blackmon is a versatile safety prospect with starting cornerback experience during his time at Utah. He is a hard hitting safety with some ball hawking skills. A three-year starter for the Utes, will likely compete for a starting role or a big rotational piece.”
Mike Renner, Pro Football Focus (draft guide): “Anytime you see a player with as diverse a positional background as Blackmon has it’s always intriguing. Him being a former cornerback isn’t that big of a positive in his favor in my book though because…well…he wasn’t that good of a corner. He’s never going to be a physical presence at safety and his range on the back end isn’t terribly impressive. Without a great feel for the safety position yet, he’s kind of in no man’s land.”
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