Julian Blackmon is a free agent once again. After five years with the Colts, the veteran safety is unlikely to return and is surprisingly still looking for a home. He tested the free agent market last offseason, expecting a bigger payday that ultimately never materialized, instead returning to Indianapolis on a one-year deal.

This year, however, the Colts appear set to move on. They signed Camryn Bynum from the Vikings to be their new free safety and return Nick Cross at strong safety. Blackmon’s fit next to Cross was always a bit clunky, as both are big hitters specializing in run defense and better-suited to playing close to the line of scrimmage.

Still, Blackmon is a versatile and experienced NFL safety who has a lot he can offer teams. In his five years in the league, he’s steadily improved year over year. His 2023 and 2024 seasons were easily his best, and between them, he totaled 174 tackles, 12 passes defensed and seven interceptions. Most of that production came while playing out of position at free safety next to Cross.

Blackmon had PFF grades of 70.9 and 69.3 in 2023 and 2024, respectively, performing well in run defense and holding his own in coverage. He does have an extensive injury history that may be giving teams pause, and is likely a factor in why the Colts chose to go with Cross instead, but at this point in the offseason, he’s a plug-and-play starter for a team in need of safety help.

Blackmon, 26, was a three-year starter at Utah and earned second-team All-American honors in 2019. The Colts selected him with the No. 85 pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. 

He signed a four-year, $4,628,849 rookie contract that included a $926,437 signing bonus and played out the final year of that deal. Blackmon re-signed with the Colts on a one-year deal for the 2024 season.

In 2024, Blackmon appeared in 16 games for the Colts and recorded 86 total tackles, one tackle for loss, three interceptions and four pass defenses. 

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. 

Carolina Panthers

Blackmon has been connected to the Panthers quite a bit since free agency started. Carolina is one of the only teams that’s brought him in for a visit, and on paper at least the fit makes sense. The Panthers signed Tre’von Moehrig from the Raiders as their big defensive addition to lock down one of the safety spots, and they return Nick Scott to start across from him.

The issue is Scott was one of the worst safeties in the NFL last year. PFF graded him out at just a 52.6, which ranked 82nd among all safeties. He was a particularly poor run defender, with a 48.1 run defense grade. That could be a problem next to Moehrig, whose natural position is a deep field free safety. Whoever plays next to him will be playing closer to the line of scrimmage, and that’s Blackmon’s specialty. Pairing Moehrig and Blackmon is a perfect complement of skills and would be a significant upgrade for Carolina’s secondary.

Miami Dolphins

The safety situation in Miami is dire, to put it mildly. They allowed Jevon Holland — a Pro Bowl-level player — to walk, and have done very little to replace him. Jordan Poyer, their other starting safety in 2024, remains unsigned and appears unlikely to return.

In their stead, the Dolphins signed two free-agent safeties: Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu. Davis comes over from the Jets and Melifonwu from the Lions, where both played minor roles a year ago. There’s little data on how either has performed on the field, as a result. Elijah Campbell is Miami’s third safety, and he’s played a similarly minor role with the Dolphins to this point in his career.

Relying on some combination of those three to lock down the safety position is a huge gamble for the Dolphins. Signing Blackmon would add a veteran presence with years of starting experience to this secondary. He can play deep or close to the line of scrimmage and would lock down one of the starting safety spots, providing a stable floor of play. At that point, Miami would only need one of Melifonwu or Davis to break out, rather than having to rely on both.

New York Jets

Safety depth has been a bit of an issue for the Jets for a few years now. Projecting ahead to 2025, it looks more dire than ever. Tony Adams returns to lock down one spot, but next to him will be free agent signee Andre Cisco, a former third-round pick of the Jaguars who was a consistent weak point in the Jacksonville secondary. In 2024, he had a 58.8 PFF grade, good for 70th at the position.

Behind them is fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore, a veteran of the Alabama defense who may struggle initially in the NFL. Shoring up the depth on the back end will be important, and right now, the Jets are relying on some underwhelming and unproven players. Blackmon can play free or strong safety, and though he’s best in the box, he has plenty of experience as a deeper-field safety during his time in Indianapolis. He’s versatile enough to fill any role the Jets need him to and would be a substantial upgrade on their back end.

Other teams to watch: Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams

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