Mekhi Blackmon

Mekhi Blackmon (born March 18, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Mateo Bulldogs, the Colorado Buffaloes and the USC Trojans.

Mekhi Blackmon

No. 5 – Minnesota Vikings
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	(1999-03-18) March 18, 1999 (age 26) Hayward, California, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	178 lb (81 kg)
Career information
High school:	Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, California)
College:	San Mateo (2017) Colorado (2018–2021) USC (2022)
NFL draft:	2023: 3rd round, 102nd pick
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (2023–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pac-12 (2022)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles: 41 Fumble recoveries: 1 Pass deflections: 8 Interceptions: 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Blackmon was born in Hayward, California.^[1] He grew up in East Palo Alto, California and attended Menlo-Atherton High School.

College career

Blackmon played one year of community college football at College of San Mateo before committing to Colorado in 2018.^[2][3]

Blackmon played four years at Colorado before deciding to transfer to USC.^[4][5] In his collegiate career he totaled 142 tackles, 4 being for a loss, 1 sack, 5 interceptions, 24 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 forced fumbles.^[6] His best collegiate year occurred during the 2022 season when he posted 66 tackles, 2 going for a loss, 3 interceptions, 12 pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. For his performance, he was named First Team All-Pac-12 Conference.^[7][8]

He was projected to be a 5th to 6th round selection in the 2023 NFL draft.^[9][10]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	178 lb (81 kg)	31 in (0.79 m)	9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m)	4.47 s	1.54 s	2.57 s	36.0 in (0.91 m)	10 ft 5 in (3.18 m)	11 reps
All values from the NFL Combine[11][12]

Blackmon was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round, 102nd overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft.^[13] In Week 10, Blackmon recorded his first career interception in a 27–19 win against the New Orleans Saints.^[14]

On July 24, 2024, it was announced that Blackmon had suffered a torn ACL, ruling him out for the entirety of the ensuing season.^[15]