Vikings Seem to Double Down on Offseason Decisions with Mekhi Blackmon Trade
On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings made yet another trade by sending CB Mekhi Blackmon to the Indianapolis Colts.
The move sent back a 2026 sixth-round pick to Minnesota, upping their total draft capital for next spring to 11 picks. The move also seemed to be a statement by the Vikings organization that they are content with their current options in the secondary.
Vikings Double Down on Offseason Acquisitions
Blackmon was selected by the Vikings in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The USC product played decently during his rookie season, appearing in 15 games and making three starts on defense. In total, Blackmon recorded 41 tackles, three tackles for loss, eight passes defended, and an interception.
However, Blackmon would miss the entirety of the 2024 season due to an ACL tear he suffered on the first day of training camp. The injury, as well as the tragic death of Khyree Jackson earlier that month, prompted the Vikings to bring in Stephon Gilmore as additional veteran depth in the secondary.
Back in March, the Vikings opted to sign both Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah at the cornerback position. The duo replaced veterans Shaq Griffin and Gilmore who performed admirably in Minnesota’s cornerback room last season.
With the move to send Blackmon out now, Minnesota’s message seems to be that they are content rolling into the regular season with Rodgers and Okudah as the starters alongside Byron Murphy.
It could be a big risk by the organization. Rodgers has never served a role bigger than a temporary starter in a defense, and last season, he was largely a role player in a Philadelphia secondary that included standout rookies Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.
As for Okudah, the former 2020 third overall pick has never lived up to that draft status. Each of his first two seasons in the NFL ended early due to injury, and after the 2022 season, the Detroit Lions traded him to the Atlanta Falcons, and last year was spent as a depth player for the Houston Texans.
However, the two currently are really Minnesota’s only current options to play on defense. With Blackmon being sent out, and Zemaiah Vaughn being cut on Tuesday, the only other two cornerbacks listed on the depth chart are Ambry Thomas and Dwight McGlothern.
Thomas started 11 games for the San Francisco 49ers from 2021-2023, but he did not play at all in 2024, bouncing between the 49ers’ and Indianapolis Colts’ practice squads. Meanwhile, McGlothern, a 2024 undrafted free agent, played just 19 snaps on defense last year.
The X-factor of the current group could be Tavierre Thomas, who is listed as a safety on Minnesota’s depth chart but has made 22 starts on defense since entering the league in 2018.
Outside of that, though, the Vikings will need to rely on Rodgers and Okudah taking major steps forward this season unless they opt to search for another veteran either through free agency or a trade. Even then, that player will take time to learn an intricate defense such as Brian Flores.
The Mekhi Blackmon move only puts further onus on the current Minnesota starters to hold down the fort.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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