The Minnesota Vikings are heading into the draft without a general manager following the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, with interim general manager Rob Brzezinski set to lead the team through the 2026 NFL Draft.
Drafting has been a big question mark for the Vikings in recent years, especially in the middle rounds. This past offseason, Minnesota took wide receiver Tai Felton in the third round. While playing in 17 games, Felton finished the year with three catches for 25 yards. We’ll see if he gets
a bigger role in 2026.
In 2024, the Vikings were without many midround picks, thanks to trades they made. But in 2023, they took cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts last offseason after just 15 games with the team.
Blackmon ended up playing a big role for the Colts this year, starting in 11 games due to the injuries they faced.
With the 2026 NFL Draft here and the Vikings set to get their return for Blackmon, let’s revisit that trade and see how it fared for both sides.
Original compensation for the Mekhi Blackmon trade
- Indianapolis Colts receive: CB Mekhi Blackmon
- Minnesota Vikings receive: 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 196 overall)
What did the Minnesota Vikings do with the pick from the Mekhi Blackmon trade?
The Vikings used the 196th pick in a trade down, falling back from 49 to 51. They got 51 and 159, so they moved up in the sixth round with the pick. We will update.
How did Mekhi Blackmon play in 2025 for the Colts?
After starting only three games for the Vikings in a reserve role in 2023 and missing the entire 2024 season, the former third-round pick had his breakout campaign in 2025, playing in all 17 games for the Colts and starting 11.
Blackmon finished the year with 64 tackles, seven pass breakups, and two interceptions.
There were ups and downs, as Blackmon saw some struggles in coverage, but he stepped up for the Colts when needed after their slew of unexpected injuries.
Overall, Blackmon was targeted 66 times, the most of any Colts cornerback according to PFF, and allowed a completion rate of 63.6 percent. He also gave up a passer rating of 93.2, while committing eight penalties.
He also missed 10 tackles and had a missed tackle rate of 13.3 percent. So, there were some ups and downs, but Indianapolis found itself a serviceable depth cornerback who was thrown to the fire in 2025.
How did the Minnesota Vikings fare in the Mekhi Blackmon trade?
Following the Blackmon trade, the Vikings were tested at cornerback with their depth. They had Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers, who played almost 100 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in 2025, but their No. 3 corner was a question mark.
Fabian Moreau, who was brought onto the practice squad and later signed, ended up playing a key role down the stretch. But Minnesota could’ve used the cornerback depth, and Blackmon ended up being a solid player for the Colts in 2025, stepping into a bigger role than expected.
Now, Blackmon is best suited as a depth cornerback, so it wasn’t a major hit for 2025, but the Vikings did have a need at the position and traded away a potential solution there.
