The Minnesota Vikings are heading toward the 2025 regular season with few question marks on their roster, beyond quarterback. Cornerback, however, is one of them, making Mekhi Blackmon’s return good news for the Vikings.
Blackmon, 26, was the No. 102 overall pick of the 2023 draft. He appeared in 15 games as a rookie, starting three, but missed 2024 after tearing his ACL in the first training camp practice.
Blackmon is back on the field during organized team activities this year and turning heads.
“Mekhi Blackmon looking good about 10 months after his ACL tear,” the VikingzFanPage posted on X on May 30, along with a clip of the third-year pro going through a drill on the practice field from the team’s official Instagram.
Blackmon suffered the injury 310 days before the video, to be exact.
“#Vikings CB Mekhi Blackmon suffered a torn ACL in the first practice of training camp today, per source,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported in X on July 2024. “Tough blow for Minnesota and Blackmon, who played in 15 games (three starts) as a rookie last season.”
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted that it was an “absolutely brutal” development for both Blackmon and the Vikings.
Mekhi Blackmon’s Return Good News for Vikings
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts with Mekhi Blackmon #5 before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
As of May 31, the Vikings roster has 10 players listed as cornerbacks on the team’s official website. Only one of them, Byron Murphy Jr., started games for the team in 2024, though the team is high on youngster Dwight McGlothern, an undrafted free agent in 2024.
They signed former Detroit Lions first-round pick Jeff Okudah in free agency.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes ex-Philadelphia Eagles CB Isaiah Rodgers, per head coach Kevin O’Connell.
However, Blackmon offers a chance at a home-grown solution for the Vikings, who endured tremendous losses at the position in 2024. In addition to losing Blackmon, 2024 fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson was killed in a car crash in July of that year.
Then, the Vikings traded Andrew Booth, a second-rounder in 2022, to the Dallas Cowboys and waived his draft classmate and fourth-round selection Akayleb Evans during last season.
Murphy, 27, signed a three-year, $54 million contract to return to the Vikings in free agency.
He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, though, leaving Blackmon as the only cornerback on the Vikings’ roster who was drafted by the team. It is a notable landmark given the organization’s recent decision.
CB Woes Did Not Sink Vikings GM
GettyMinnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has faced heavy criticism over his draft record, including the 2024 class, with both first-round picks playing very little or not at all. Injuries, like with Blackmon, played a part in that.
Still, the Vikings’ decision to extend Adofo-Mensah’s contract was a bold declaration of their faith in his ability to keep the franchise headed in the right direction.
It could also indicate they are less worried about cornerback issues than outside voices.
The Vikings have one of the best collections of skill players in the NFL, and they bolstered their lines, including on offense, where second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy is stepping in as the starter.
Their defense was formidable last season, albeit with a far more proven collection of cornerbacks, with Shaquil Griffin and Stephon Gilmore flanking Murphy.
Flores and Co. could have their work cut out for them to repeat their performance.
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