Julian Blackmon | S | Utah
Elevator Pitch
Blackmon is a versatile safety prospect with starting cornerback experience during his time at Utah. He is a hard hitting safety with some ball hawking skills. A three-year starter for the Utes, will likely compete for a starting role or a big rotational piece.
Vitals
Height | 6-0
Weight | 190
Class | Senior
Strengths
What stands out immediately is his ability to play with physicality. He is a hard hitter that can separate ball carrier from the ball with his jarring hits. He can fly downhill quickly and will lay the wood when he gets theres. Not a shoulder tackle safety, Blackmon does well to wrap up and bring down his target.
Former cornerback who you can feel comfortable with in one on one situations. Physical at the line and can play press coverage with a good ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. Shows the high football IQ to understand situational routes and uses those instincts to close on the ball.
Blackmon has tremendous ball skills with nine interceptions in three seasons as a starter. He is a long defensive back who will use that length to high point the ball. Has some long speed that will help him recover. A guy who isn’t a one spot in the secondary player, he can win from many different spots.
Weaknesses
Blackmon is a bit raw as a safety prospect in terms of moving over from cornerback. He will need work on better spacing and proper angles. Proper technique will be vital for his success at the position. Can lose track of receiver at times.
The health of Blackmon will need to be monitored. A knee injury late in the season forced him to miss the Alamo Bowl. Teams will need to make sure that he is fully healed up with no longstanding concerns. Non-contact knee injuries are ones to be fearful about.
