For Mekhi Blackmon, it was insanely disappointing that at the start of training camp in 2024, he went down with an injury, and later it was revealed that the injury was a torn ACL. This injury forced him to miss the entire season, and now he is back with a vengeance.
According to The Athletic's Alec Lewis, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has Blackmon running drills with the second team defense, as that is to be expected coming off a major injury.
But Blackmon has the potential. He is back for Minnesota's 2025 training camp, ready to roll, and ready to prove that he belongs on the field helping the team win.
Before his injury, Mekhi Blackmon was the clear CB2 for the Minnesota Vikings behind Byron Murphy Jr.
Vikings fans have raved about Blackmon ever since he was drafted and got to watch him defend against some of the game's best in his rookie year in 2023.
But missing the 2024 season has put him behind the eight-ball early in 2025. If he had stayed healthy in 2024, he probably would have been the Vikings' second-best cornerback behind Byron Murphy Jr.
After Blackmon got hurt last year, Minnesota signed veteran Stephon Gilmore, and they also had Shaq Griffin waiting to take some snaps, as there was an opportunity there.
But with Blackmon healthy, he has a much better chance to win the Vikings' CB2 spot this summer. For now, the Vikings are going to be cautious, as an ACL recovery is a huge deal.
In Minnesota's current cornerback room, the team has Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah. That is not the best secondary room in the NFL, but it can improve if Blackmon can stay on the field.
There is hope that Flores can fix Okudah, as he has bounced around a bit since being a high first-round pick a few years ago, and get the most out of Rodgers after he was blocked from the field a bit by the young secondary in Philadelphia, but is now expected to get a bigger role in Minnesota.
If Blackmon can stay healthy and play almost every game this season, the Vikings' defense will become that much better, and the cornerback room will be seen as a major strength, and Flores will be all smiles on the sideline come Sundays.