Once Promising Viking Suddenly on the Roster Bubble
You may not have placed it on your early summer bingo board for the Minnesota Vikings, but cornerback Mekhi Blackmon is suddenly on the team’s roster bubble.
A once-promising Minnesota Vikings defender is now fighting for a roster spot after a disappointing preseason showing that raised doubts about his future.
Blackmon played extensively in Saturday’s preseason game, which some might perceive as good news. But in reality, players who see ample action in the preseason tend to encounter the dreaded roster bubble and often subsequent cuts.
That’s where Blackmon lives right now.
Mekhi Blackmon Must Fight for a Roster Spot
The 3rd-Rounder from 2023 has an uphill battle afoot.
Out of Nowhere, Mekhi Blackmon Is on the Roster Bubble
Blackmon led the Vikings in defensive snaps last weekend against the New England Patriots. He played 55.
His counterparts, like Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah, played zero snaps. They’re written in ink, evidently, as starters.
Then, Blackmon didn’t play well. He logged a 55.1 Pro Football Focus grade, quite terrible for battling the Patriots’ reserve players for most of the afternoon. The USC alumnus also provided a few gaffes during the contest, looking disoriented at times in the exhibition showdown.
None of that worked in his favor.
A Return from a Torn ACL
Blackmon tore his ACL at 2024 training camp, forcing the Vikings to sign Stephon Gilmore, who remains a free agent in 2025. After battling back valiantly to the 2025 summer lineup with a fully healed ACL, fans had big plans for Blackmon, who might’ve been on deck as a starter in a nondescript Vikings secondary.
However, as training camp got off the ground, the 26-year-old very visibly ran with backup players, and ever since, Blackmon has hoped to carve out a spot with the second team.
That could be in jeopardy, especially with the man playing 55 preseason snaps in a single game.
Vikings’ Main 3 CBs Already Established
These are the Vikings’ starting cornerbacks, with no mysteries:
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Jeff Okudah
In June, for example, most believed Okudah and Blackmon would duke it out for the CB3 job title. No duking even remotely transpired. The job was just Okudah’s from the start of training camp.
Blackmon must now worry about reserve cornerbacks like Dwight McGlothern, Zemaiah Vaughn, Ambry Thomas, and Tavierre Thomas stealing his roster spot.
Now or Never for Blackmon
Regarding his employment with the Vikings, the next eight days are showtime for Blackmon. Plain and simple.
It might be a difficult request because the time is so scanty, but Blackmon must thrive behind the scenes at practice or do something mighty on Friday night during the final preseason game at Tennessee. If neither occurs, Blackmon could be waived on August 26th and hit waivers.
There’s also a fringe school of thought that Blackmon has played so much in the preseason to get his ACL back to game speed. That theory isn’t terrible. Still, 55 snaps in the second preseason game is a bit overkill.
Other Blackmon Takes
Athlon Sports‘ Anthony Miller touched on Blackmon and the Vikings’ secondary earlier this summer.
He wrote, “Blackmon is making a return to the field after missing all of last year with a torn ACL injury. He was originally a third-round pick of the Vikings back in 2023. Some of those additions he was talking about were Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers, who entered their first year in Minnesota.”
“Byron Murphy Jr. is the veteran in the room alongside Blackmon, who is expected to compete for a starting job. At safety, Harrison Smith is the veteran and leader everyone knows as he is back for potentially his final season in the NFL. Josh Metellus is expected to compete for the other safety job.”
Since, Blackmon has been totally lapped on the depth chart.
Miller added, “The concern with the room is that they lost their top cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, to free agency. This is a Vikings secondary that was the fifth worst against the pass in 2024, allowing 242 yards per game. There is a ton of potential in the room, but it will all fall on how newcomers Okudah and Rodgers play.”
“Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been high on Rodgers all offseason and sees him as an every-down starting corner. OTAs are only in week two, so it’s premature to come up with conclusions, but it’s fair to say the Vikings’ cornerback room has heard the criticism and is ready to prove the NFL wrong.”
Blackmon will learn his bubble fate in eight days.
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