What Will the Saints Newly Signed Veteran Safety Bring to New Orleans?
The New Orleans Saints have signed veteran safety Julian Blackmon to fill the void left by Tyrann Mathieu, who retired in July 2025. Blackmon arrives with five seasons of NFL experience, having totaled 300 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 21 passes defended across 66 games, 62 starts with the Indianapolis Colts. Known for his range as a single-high safety and his ability to make plays on the ball, Blackmon brings a versatile toolkit that aligns well with Brandon Staley’s flexible defensive scheme. He joins newly acquired Justin Reid, who got in early in the offseason, a pairing that promises athleticism, instinct, and coverage savvy in the Saints’ secondary. With Mathieu’s legacy still fresh, Blackmon inherits large shoes to fill, but his résumé suggests he’s ready to take on that responsibility.
Blackmon’s Colts tenure demonstrates steady growth and production. In 2023, he posted a career-best 88 combined tackles, eight passes defensed, and four interceptions in 15 starts. He followed that with 86 tackles, three interceptions, and one sack in 2024 across 16 games. Over his five-year career, Blackmon accumulated 300 total tackles, 10 interceptions, 21 pass breakups, four fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. However, hampered by a torn Achilles in 2021, when healthy, he has proven to be a reliable coverage presence with strong ball-hawking instincts and solid tackling ability. Brandon Staley’s defense thrives on disguise, flexibility, and smart coverage rotations. Blackmon, a former college cornerback turned safety, fits this mold perfectly. In 2024, he lined up as a deep safety on the vast majority of his snaps, a role nearly identical to how Mathieu was deployed. His ability to patrol the back end, rotate into the box, or match up with tight ends and slot receivers makes him a key chess piece in Staley’s scheme. With strong instincts and a high football IQ, Blackmon is poised to make an immediate impact in multiple areas of the field.
Blackmon will line up next to Justin Reid, another athletic, intelligent safety brought in earlier this offseason. Reid offers leadership and range, while Blackmon adds a ball-hawking edge and more experience in multiple safety roles. Together, they have the potential to become one of the more dynamic and complementary safety tandems in the NFL. However, filling the shoes of Tyrann Mathieu, a three-time All-Pro with 36 career interceptions and a reputation as a vocal team leader, won’t be easy. The Saints hope Blackmon’s skill set and football maturity will help ease the transition and stabilize the back end of the defense.
Julian Blackmon steps into a high-expectation role in a changing Saints defense. With 300 tackles, 10 interceptions, and a history of production in a variety of alignments, he brings experience and playmaking ability to the secondary. Brandon Staley’s system seems tailor-made for Blackmon’s strengths, and his pairing with Justin Reid could be one of the most balanced in the NFC. While replacing a player of Mathieu’s caliber is no small task, Blackmon’s consistency, range, and versatility make him a strong candidate to anchor the Saints’ new-look secondary. If he stays healthy and adjusts quickly, he could end up being one of the most valuable additions of the Saints’ offseason.
