Saints safety Julian Blackmon was on Brandon Staley's radar for years. He finally has him

When Julian Blackmon recorded his first interception in practice with the New Orleans Saints, no one was more excited than defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. As soon as the safety picked off quarterback Jake Haener, Staley yelled: “I’ve waited five years for that!”

It had been a long time coming.

“I said, ‘Coach, this is for you!’” Blackmon said with a smile. “It feels good to be valued.”

Staley’s interest in Blackmon dated back to 2020 when he declared for the NFL draft, Blackmon said. The coordinator, then with the Los Angeles Rams, was the “main guy” who was in contact with Blackmon ahead of the draft. But the timing didn’t pan out — the Rams chose another player one pick ahead of Blackmon, who was taken at No. 85 by the Indianapolis Colts.

Blackmon and Staley still stayed in touch over the years. Last year, when Blackmon was a free agent, Staley courted the safety when he was an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers. Again, the timing didn’t work out — Blackmon chose to re-sign with the Colts.

But the third time, as the cliché goes, turned out to be the charm.

The Saints were in need of a safety after Tyrann Mathieu’s surprise retirement, and New Orleans ultimately signed the 26-year-old Blackmon to a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $5.5 million.

“We obviously feel fortunate (Blackmon was available),” Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “He’s a big-time player. He’s contributing in a lot of different ways. … I think this is going to work out great for all sides.”

Perhaps one of the reasons Blackmon was available this late into the summer was the fact that the sixth-year veteran spent most of last season dealing with a torn labrum. Although he suited up for 16 games, Blackmon acknowledged the injury affected his play, and he needed to wait to get fully cleared.

But the Saints weren’t scared off by the injury. New Orleans also expressed interest in Blackmon well before Mathieu’s retirement, hosting him on a free-agent visit in May. Moore said he sees Blackmon playing more on the back end at free safety, while Justin Reid lines up in the box. That should lean into what Blackmon does best: He spent most of last season at free safety and has had seven interceptions over the past two years.

Neither the Saints nor Blackmon expects to fully “replace” Mathieu, a potential Hall of Famer who carried a significant leadership presence on the Saints. But New Orleans wanted someone with a similar skill set, and Blackmon can replicate that, Moore said.

Blackmon hasn’t wasted time either in appearing to climb his way up the Saints’ depth chart. He spent Monday’s practice working primarily with the starters, days after his first practice.

The Saints could tell Blackmon was ready to work. Defensive backs coach Terry Joseph, who oversees the safeties, said Blackmon participated in the team’s conditioning test and “blew it out of the water” after flying in from Utah that same day.

“He’s a really smart player,” Joseph said, later adding, “In 2025, for any secondary player, versatility (is key), because you’re going to play so many offenses that give you all of these funky formations and different sets, you’ve got to have guys who are not one-trick ponies, guys who can play in a box, guys who can play deep, guys who can cover, have feel, guys who can blitz.

“Over his career, he’s done all of those things. One of the best things is that he has all of these snaps and experiences, yet he’s still only 26 years old. So he still has a lot of tread left on the tires.”

Staley, like many defensive coordinators in the NFL, prefers his safeties to be interchangeable, allowing them to switch roles on the fly if an adjustment is needed. But the coordinator takes those levels of disguises to another gear, constantly having his safeties roam at the line of scrimmage and relaying pre-play checks. Joseph called the safeties in this scheme “the quarterbacks of the defense.”

That undoubtedly appeals to Blackmon, who said he felt the Saints were the “best fit” for him prior to signing. In addition to getting to work with Staley for the first time, Blackmon also reunites with former college teammate and safety Terrell Burgess.

Burgess, coincidentally, would be the player the Rams went on to draft later in the third round after the Colts took Blackmon five years ago.

“This year, (Staley) was like, ‘You’re back again. I’ve been trying to get you,’” Blackmon said. “So it’s good to work with him.”