Mekhi Blackmon Listed as Vikings' Biggest Impact Player From 2023 Draft

The Vikings selected USC wide receiver Jordan Addison with the 23rd overall pick in this year's draft. 79 slots later, with the final pick of the third round, they chose Addison's teammate during the 2022 season, cornerback Mekhi Blackmon.

Despite the difference in draft position, is it possible that Blackmon could have a bigger immediate impact than Addison? Pro Football Focus thinks so. In their latest power rankings, which have the Vikings as the 14th-best team in the NFL, they listed Blackmon as the team's "biggest impact player" from the 2023 draft.

Minnesota finished 2022 with a 78.4 team coverage grade, ranking 18th in the NFL. With Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler, Duke Shelley and Chandon Sullivan moving on in free agency, they need more depth at cornerback. Their newest cornerback, rookie Mekhi Blackmon, may make an immediate impact. Blackmon played 907 snaps last season, from which he produced a 90.6 PFF grade and allowed a catch on just 47.6% of the passes thrown into his coverage. He missed only two tackles in 2022.

Addison, as a first-round pick, would seem to have the more straightforward path to playing time and production. He replaces Adam Thielen in the Vikings' lineup and will undoubtedly play a lot right away, but he'll have to beat out K.J. Osborn to be the team's No. 2 receiver when they have multiple tight ends or fullback C.J. Ham on the field.

Working in Blackmon's favor is that things are fairly wide open for the Vikings at cornerback. Byron Murphy Jr. will be out there for every snap, but the team needs another outside starter in base and two outside corners when Murphy slides into the slot in nickel packages. Blackmon, a 24-year-old rookie coming off a phenomenal year at USC, will compete with Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth Jr., and Joejuan Williams for those roles. Given Evans' and Booth's injury histories, it's entirely possible Blackmon could wind up as a Day 1 starter.

The competition should be fun to watch this summer.