According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Julian Blackmon, a former safety for the Indianapolis Colts, will be playing for the San Francisco 49ers. This follows a recent article that said there was no guarantee that Talanoa Hufanga would begin operations in 2024.
In the last four seasons, Blackmon, a former third-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, has made 46 starts. With the Colts, he started 15 games last season and gave up only 5.9 yards per target with a 50% completion percentage. In addition, Blackmon recorded three pass breakups and four interceptions.
Hufanga had a few problems, one of which being his missed tackles. Blackmon had a 12-percent missed tackle rate and an average tackle depth of 3.3 yards on 88 tackles, according to Sports Info Solutions. This indicates that he is creating plays close to the line of scrimmage. Hufanga had an aDOT of four yards and a missed tackle rate of 13.8 percent, for comparison’s sake.
Blackmon was occasionally employed as a pass rusher by the Colts. He proved his versatility by blitzing 21 times.
The fact that Blackmon hasn’t played a full season since being picked is probably what scares teams away from him. Blackmon sustained an Achilles tear in 2021 after rupturing his ACL in 2019. He missed the last two games of the season due to a shoulder injury, which led to his placement on the Injured Reserve in December 2023.
Despite the fact that he just finished his greatest and healthiest professional season, it is hard to ignore his severe injury.
