Vikings rumors: Key rookie avoids disaster injury scare

Vikings rookie Mekhi Blackmon exited Thursday’s practice with a concerning injury but there was good news on the other side.

The Vikings have huge expectations for two of their 2023 NFL Draft selections and both of them faced injury scares this week.

Wide receiver Jordan Addison suffered a concussion. The first-round pick is currently sitting out of practice in the protocol.

Then on Thursday, third-round cornerback Mekhi Blackmon went down during practice with an apparent shoulder injury.

Fortunately, that injury isn’t expected to keep him out for long.

“Vikings rookie CB Mekhi Blackmon appears to have dodged a major injury in today’s joint practice with the Titans, per source,” Tom Pelissero tweeted. “Evaluations ongoing, but there’s optimism Blackmon — a third-round pick who’s been working with the starting defense — will be able to return soon.”

Returning soon is definitely the best-case scenario for this one, though the Vikings will need to update that timeline more specifically.

Vikings rookie Mekhi Blackmon thankful to avoid major injury

A tweet from Blackmon himself said a lot about the level of concern and relief about the prognosis in just a few works.

“THANK YOU LORD,” Blackmon wrote.

Blackmon has been working with the first team in training camp and looks certain to nail down a critical role on defense as a rookie. Rave reviews from practice have only raised expectations for him with Vikings fans. It would have been devastating for an injury to take him out of the lineup going into the season.

At USC in 2022, Blackmon had 67 tackles, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions and a forced fumble. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors alongside Addison. They’re both hoping to have an immediate impact, but first they need to get healthy ahead of the regular season. It looks like both will have that chance.