INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts made a move Monday night that both bolsters the secondary and creates the sort of logjam that could lead to a surprising departure Tuesday.
Indianapolis traded a sixth-round pick to the Vikings for cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, a former third-round pick who can play both on the outside and in the nickel, effectively replacing the versatility the Colts lost when rookie Justin Walley tore his ACL against Baltimore.
Blackmon, 26, is coming off a lost season of his own.
The 5-11, 178-pound cornerback initially made an impact in Minnesota, playing 435 defensive snaps in 15 games as a rookie while piling up 41 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception. Blackmon allowed respectable numbers in coverage, giving up a paltry 5.7 yards per attempt, 61.5% completions and an 81.8 rating.
Blackmon then tore his ACL on the opening day of training camp in 2024, missed his entire follow-up season and found himself on the outside looking in at Minnesota’s 53-man roster after training camp this year, even though the Vikings face uncertainty at cornerback.
Indianapolis pounced, making the second major addition to the cornerback position in the past two weeks. The Colts signed 32-year-old former Pro Bowler Xavien Howard last week, ostensibly to shore up a position that had been ravaged through camp by injuries to Walley (torn ACL), incumbent starter Jaylon Jones (hamstring), third-year cornerback JuJu Brents (hamstring), veteran Samuel Womack III (hamstring) and promising undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards (concussion).
But Indianapolis appeared to be getting healthy, making the move for Blackmon all the more intriguing. Jones and Brents returned to practice last week, and both Brents and Edwards played in Saturday’s preseason finale against Cincinnati. For the first time in weeks, Indianapolis seemed to have enough cornerbacks available to carry six while making a few tough cuts, considering the Colts also have Charvarius Ward on the outside and Kenny Moore II in the slot.
The addition of Blackmon crowds the picture even more.
Blackmon likely profiles as the backup to Moore in the slot, a spot that had gone to veteran Chris Lammons in the wake of Walley’s injury. The Colts also like Blackmon’s ability to play outside, creating a logjam that could knock a familiar face off the roster, depending on how many cornerbacks Indianapolis plans to keep.
Brents, a second-round pick in the same draft that produced Blackmon, has struggled mightily with injury during his two seasons in Indianapolis; his knee injury opened a door for the veteran Womack to start eight games last season. Colts secondary coaches Chris Hewitt and Jerome Henderson like the potential of Edwards, but there may not be room for an undrafted rookie with Blackmon in the fold.
Unlike a lot of last-minute deadline deals, there do not appear to be significant special-teams concerns addressed with this trade. Blackmon played just two snaps in the kicking game in Minnesota.
The way the Colts have operated this offseason has emphasized the need for talented cornerbacks in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme. Anarumo plans to play more dime — six defensive backs — than Indianapolis has seen in years, creating a need for more cornerbacks to match up with wide receivers in the spread formations favored by modern NFL offenses.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard has spent the entire offseason trying to make sure Anarumo has enough. Ballard paid top dollar to get Ward, a true No. 1 cornerback, in free agency, made a small investment in Corey Ballentine and used a third-round pick to get Walley.
When Walley got hurt, Ballentine failed to pan out and the team’s incumbent cornerbacks were hit hard by injury, Ballard acted aggressively again, taking a risk on Howard even though the veteran didn’t play in 2024.
Now, he’s gone out to get Blackmon, a move that gives Anarumo another cornerback at his disposal and simultaneously puts the immediate futures of some familiar faces in jeopardy.
Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.