The Indianapolis Colts used the No. 85 overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select safety Julian Blackmon.
Out of Utah, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound safety will look to contend for a roster spot.
As of now, he remains unsigned but here are three things to know about the new prospect once he officially joins the team.
#1: Three Sport Standout In High School
While in high school, Blackmon played football, basketball, and track where he excelled in all three.
In football, he was a three-star wide receiver by Rivals.com, but it was on defense where he shined.
On defense, he finished with career defensive totals of six interceptions and 52 tackles, including five interceptions in one season as a junior.
As a senior, his stock took a hit when he was injured for three games.
On the basketball floor, he helped Layton High School in the 2015 5A Utah state basketball championship.
He was a Second-Team All-Area selection and a Region 1 Honorable Mention.
Basketball runs in the family as his brother, Jarriesse, played ball at UC Santa Barbara.
Utah’s own Julian Blackmon taken 85th overall. Can’t wait to see what the Layton Lancer and Utah Ute does at the next level. @JumpManJuice23 #NFLDraft2020 pic.twitter.com/7OWIosEqSO
— Matthew L Glade (@matthewLksl) April 25, 2020
#2: A Leader On Defense
Blackmon finished his career at Utah three-time All-Pac 12 selection at two different positions.
He was named All-Pac 12 twice at cornerback in 2017 and 2018, while at safety in 2019.
This past season, he was a 2019 All-American at safety as well.
In 48 games played, he started 39 possible contests with a state line of nine interceptions and 29 passes defended.
As a sophomore, he was the MVP of the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Julian Blackmon and Francis Bernard, a pair of @seniorbowl guys, get to DTR on the double A gap blitz and create a massive play for Utah. pic.twitter.com/w7MN1WS8aP
— Rob Paul (@RobPaulNFL) November 17, 2019
#3: He Conquered Adversity To Make The NFL
Many expected Blackmon to fall lower than the third round due to an injury he sustained in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
It forced Blackmon to miss the NFL Combine, but the Colts were one of the team to still believe in him.
Julian Blackmon, 3rd Round (85th overall) by the #Colts, is 4 months out from surgery to repair a torn ACL during his senior season at Utah.
He tempered expectations with his draft position, “I was one of the better players, but because of my injury – people were passing on me.” pic.twitter.com/WkB3oO6BDx
— Brett Bensley (@brettbensley) April 25, 2020
Before Blackmon was drafted, he received a call from the Colts according to Sports Illustrated.
In a conference call, Blackmon told SI that the Colts told him he could be picked earlier than expected.
“Honestly, I had a lot of contact with the coaches, yes sir,” Blackmon said in a Friday video conference call. “They told me, ‘Hey, don’t be surprised if we pick you earlier than what people expect. We don’t care that you’re hurt.’ And here I am a Colt.”
Blackmon may not be ready for team activity until August or early September.
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