When the Indianapolis Colts selected safety Julian Blackmon in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, they did so expecting a delay in contribution during his rookie season.
Because of a torn ACL he suffered in December, Blackmon was still on the mend throughout the draft and offseason. The rookie didn’t get to start practicing until the very end of training camp, which was somewhat of a shock at the time.
The Utah product then made his debut in Week 2 after Malik Hooker suffered a torn Achilles, and the rest is history. Blackmon is a certified stud.
Through the first six games—of which he has played in five—Blackmon is the highest graded rookie safety and the 10th highest-graded safety in the NFL.
Julian Blackmon:
🔹 highest-graded rookie safety
🔹 10th highest-graded safety of 83 qualifiers pic.twitter.com/7AcpPed4oU— PFF IND Colts (@PFF_Colts) October 19, 2020
It has been an incredible start for Blackmon. In just five games, he has two interceptions and six passes defended. He seems to be what the Colts were looking for in Hooker with some added physicality.
Paired with Khari Willis, who is enjoying a quietly strong season in his own right, the Colts seem to have found their duo for the future. Of course, Hooker looked like the future as well during his rookie campaign before tearing his ACL.
Blackmon has been showing off instincts, closing speed and playmaking ability that the Colts have been missing from the free safety spot. He plays fast and loves being physical.
Fully entrenched as the starting safety next to Willis, it will be fun to see how much further Blackmon can take his game in Year 1.
