Julian Blackmon becoming a legit Defensive Rookie of the Year pick

Julian Blackmon is becoming a legit Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.

The Indianapolis Colts have had a very quiet 7-3 start to the 2020 season, and part of the reason for their tremendous success is the play of young guys like third-round safety Julian Blackmon.

Blackmon was the 85th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but his early success should come as zero surprise.

He was an absolute ball-hawk while he was part of the Utah Utes defense, picking off nine passes over the past three seasons with two pick-sixes, 20 pass breakups, and a pair of forced fumbles last season.

In the 2019 season alone, Blackmon had four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a season-high 60 tackles. He was all over the field for Utah’s defense, which has provided the NFL with at least a couple of absolute studs from the 2020 class (Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson is another).

As quiet as the Colts’ 7-3 record has been, it should come as no surprise that Julian Blackmon’s defensive rookie of the year campaign has been equally quiet.

The rookie has played 83 percent of the Colts’ defensive snaps this season and has racked up 26 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, and six pass breakups. His signature moment of the season came in arguably the Colts’ biggest game of the year, a showdown with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

If the Packers ran that play 100 times, they probably get a first down on 99 of them.  That play looks well blocked, Valdez-Scantling has plenty of room if someone just puts a body on Blackmon, and it might even set the Packers up in scoring position.

Blackmon decided he would blow the play up instead, but not only did he make a tackle here, but he also took the ball away from the Packers receiver and set up his team for the winning score.

Earlier in the season, Blackmon picked off a pass from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the final minute of the fourth quarter to preserve yet another win.

Over the course of his last 21 football games, Blackmon has been responsible for no fewer than 10 turnovers. He is making his case as a defensive rookie of the year and proving that his ball skills and playmaking ability are more than just luck — he is a flat out playmaker and building block for Indianapolis.