Julian Blackmon Bio
Julian Blackmon (born August 24, 1998) is an American professional football safety for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes and entered the league after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Over the course of his professional career, Blackmon has been recognized for his range, ball skills, and versatility across multiple roles in the secondary.
Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 188 pounds, Blackmon has developed into a durable starter who can line up at free safety, strong safety, or in the nickel. His professional journey has included injury setbacks, a career-best statistical season in 2023, and a free-agent move to New Orleans in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Julian Blackmon was born on August 24, 1998, in Layton, Utah, where he also grew up and attended Layton High School. At Layton, he was a multi-sport athlete who played cornerback and wide receiver on the football team while also competing on the basketball court. His combination of size and athleticism made him a notable recruit on the local scene.
A 3-star recruit, Blackmon chose to play college football at Utah over offers from Idaho, Southern Utah, and Weber State. His upbringing in Utah and his willingness to stay close to home for college helped shape a steady developmental path, while his high-school experience as a cornerback laid the foundation for the positional flexibility he would later showcase.
Path to American Football
Blackmon committed to Utah as a cornerback and spent his first three college seasons working on the outside. As a sophomore in 2017, he was named the MVP of the 2017 Heart of Dallas Bowl, an early sign that his playmaking instincts could translate against top-level competition. His trajectory began to shift during his senior year, when the Utah coaching staff moved him to safety.
The position change paid off quickly. In 2019, Blackmon was recognized as a first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and The Athletic, and he finished his Utah career with 39 starts in 48 games, 158 tackles, nine interceptions, 1.5 sacks, and two touchdowns. Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, analysts such as Gil Brandt ranked him as a top safety prospect, and his rare cornerback-to-safety background increased his appeal to NFL defenses looking for versatile defensive backs.
Julian Blackmon Career
Early Career (2020)
The Indianapolis Colts selected Julian Blackmon in the third round (85th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft, making him the eighth safety taken that year. He signed a four-year, $4.62 million rookie contract that included an initial signing bonus of $926,436, but a torn ACL limited him early in camp and led to a placement on the active/non-football injury list. Once activated in late August, Blackmon was eased into action as the third free safety on the depth chart.
He made his regular-season debut on September 20, 2020, against the Minnesota Vikings, recording two solo tackles and two pass deflections. After starter Malik Hooker suffered a torn Achilles, Blackmon stepped in as the Colts’ starting free safety. He earned his first career interception on October 4, 2020, off a pass from Nick Foles, and added a late-game interception of Joe Burrow to seal a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Blackmon finished his rookie year with 42 combined tackles, six pass deflections, and one interception in 15 games and 14 starts.
Indianapolis Colts Breakthrough (2021-2022)
Blackmon entered 2021 as the Colts’ starting free safety under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. He opened the year with a season-high 11 solo tackles against the Tennessee Titans, but a torn Achilles suffered in October ended his season prematurely. He finished the year with 34 combined tackles and one pass deflection in six games and six starts, then worked through rehab to return to the field in 2022.
New defensive coordinator Gus Bradley retained Blackmon as a starter in 2022. He recorded his first career sack against Mac Jones and the New England Patriots on November 6, 2022, and later returned an interception 17 yards for his first career touchdown against Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings. Blackmon closed 2022 with 50 combined tackles, one interception, one sack, one fumble recovery, and a touchdown in 14 games and 11 starts.
Indianapolis Colts Peak (2023-2024)
The 2023 season marked Blackmon’s most productive professional year. Under head coach Shane Steichen, he opened the year as the starting free safety and set a new career high with 12 combined tackles against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. He sealed a Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans with a late interception and added another key pick alongside Rodney Thomas II in a win over the New England Patriots in November. Blackmon finished 2023 with a career-high 88 combined tackles, eight passes defensed, four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries in 15 games and 15 starts.
Blackmon re-signed with the Colts on April 2, 2024, on a one-year, $3.70 million extension that included $3.19 million guaranteed. He responded with 86 combined tackles, four pass deflections, three interceptions, a fumble recovery, and half a sack in 16 games and 16 starts. A shoulder injury cost him time early in the year, but he still produced late-game interceptions against Will Levis and Mac Jones to help secure two of Indianapolis’s most dramatic wins.
New Orleans Saints Era (2025-Present)
On July 23, 2025, Julian Blackmon signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the New Orleans Saints, signaling a fresh chapter in his career. The Saints immediately named him a starting safety, intending to use his experience and coverage range as a stabilizing presence in the secondary.
Blackmon’s 2025 debut was cut short when he suffered a torn labrum in Week 1, an injury serious enough that the Saints placed him on season-ending injured reserve. His first season in New Orleans ended before it could fully begin, but his signing underlined the organization’s belief in his long-term value as a versatile veteran in the defensive backfield.
Driving Style and Strengths
Julian Blackmon’s strengths begin with his range and football instincts in coverage, qualities that have allowed him to thrive as a deep free safety. His cornerback background at Utah gives him the footwork and technique to match up with slot receivers, while his experience in multiple roles helps defensive coordinators disguise coverages. He has shown a reliable nose for the football, with multiple late-game interceptions that have directly translated into wins for his teams.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Julian Blackmon’s signature moments are his interception of Joe Burrow to seal a 2020 win over the Bengals, his pick-six against Kirk Cousins in 2022, and his late-game interceptions of Ryan Tannehill and Mitchell Trubisky during his 2023 career year. His Heart of Dallas Bowl MVP honor in 2017 and his first-team All-American recognition in 2019 round out a resume that bridges his college stardom and his professional development.
Julian Blackmon Career Wins
While defensive backs are rarely measured by wins alone, Julian Blackmon has been on the winning side of several defining games. His game-clinching interceptions against Cincinnati in 2020, Tennessee in 2023, and Jacksonville in 2024 highlight a knack for stepping up in pressure moments, and his steady presence has been a quiet constant during the Indianapolis Colts’ most competitive stretches.
NFL Regular Season Highlights
Across his time with the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, Blackmon has compiled multiple double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 13 combined tackles in the 2024 opener against the Houston Texans. His 2023 season produced a career-high four interceptions, while 2024 added three more, demonstrating consistent ball production. He has also recorded his first career sack and touchdown, milestones that bookend his development into a three-down safety.
Other Performances
At the college level, Blackmon earned MVP honors at the 2017 Heart of Dallas Bowl and first-team All-American recognition from Sports Illustrated and The Athletic in 2019. He was also a second-team All-Pac-12 selection during his Utah career, accolades that helped establish him as one of the most productive defensive backs in program history before he transitioned to the NFL.
Julian Blackmon Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Julian Blackmon was raised in Layton, Utah, where his family has long been part of the local community. While specific details about his parents and siblings are not publicly documented, his upbringing in the same state where he later starred for the Utah Utes reflects strong regional roots.
Personal Life
Julian Blackmon became engaged to his girlfriend Tyra Gilmore in February 2024, and the couple married on July 12, 2024. Their wedding marked a notable personal milestone during a year in which Blackmon also re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts and continued to establish himself as an NFL starter.
2025 Season Performance
Julian Blackmon’s 2025 campaign was defined by both opportunity and adversity. After signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the New Orleans Saints in July, he entered the year as a projected starter and a key piece of the team’s secondary rebuild. The Saints valued his experience in coverage and his versatility across safety alignments, both of which were expected to anchor the back end of their defense.
Unfortunately, a torn labrum suffered in Week 1 forced Blackmon onto season-ending injured reserve, cutting short what had the makings of an impact season. The injury prevented him from building on his 2023 and 2024 production with the Colts, where he had totaled seven interceptions and 174 combined tackles across the previous two seasons.
Looking ahead, Blackmon’s path forward will hinge on his recovery from shoulder surgery and his fit in the Saints’ long-term plans. His track record of durability before 2025, combined with his ball-hawking instincts and multi-role ability, suggests he remains a viable starting safety candidate once healthy. For New Orleans, the priority will be supporting his rehab while evaluating younger options in the secondary during his absence.