The Buffalo Bills have reached double figures in the wins department in six straight seasons. It’s a huge step forward for a franchise that, before this rousing run, went 19 seasons without a single 10-win campaign. That said, they are still in search of their first Lombardi Trophy.
With reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen leading the way, the foundation is set for a deep winter run after making the draft and free agent additions. However, one of the few areas where the Bills could still use some more help is in the secondary, and they are predicted to address the need by signing a 26-year-old safety in free agency.
Bills Predicted To Sign Julian Blackmon Ahead of 2025 NFL Season
The Bills used their first five picks of the 2025 NFL Draft to address three of the team’s most pressing needs on defense. In fact, Buffalo spent six of their nine total picks on defensive players. Still, they left their safety room unchanged.
Buffalo parted ways with the longstanding tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer last season, with Damar Hamlin slated as a new starter in 2025.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen recently argued that free agent safety Julian Blackmon would be an upgrade over Hamlin and give the Bills’ secondary a “playmaking” ability as well.
“Blackmon’s skill set fits with the foundational split-field coverages in Buffalo’s defensive system,” Bowen wrote. “Plus, I see him as an upgrade over Damar Hamlin in the post. Blackmon has the ability to move off his deep landmarks and make plays on the ball. He had three interceptions with the Colts last season and four in 2023. He also recorded 85-plus tackles in each of the past two seasons.
“This pickup is all about adding more range and playmaking upside to the third level of Buffalo’s defense.”
Blackmon was a third-round pick by Indianapolis in the 2020 NFL Draft and has started 62 games in his five-year career. He was a staple in the Indianapolis Colts’ secondary in 2024, setting career-highs in starts (16) and percentage of snaps played (93.7%) to record 86 tackles and three interceptions.
Julian Blackmon has a coverage grade of 73.5 which is 21st out of 121 safeties according to @PFF. A big need for the #Panthers before going into the #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/mPfbW9RqRj
— 1NG_Podcast (@1NG_Podcast)
A year after recording a career-high four interceptions, Blackmon followed that up with three picks. The improved ball production is a welcome change from his first three seasons and should entice the Bills to make an offer.
Blackmon only earned a one-year contract in free agency last offseason, a somewhat curious development that likely stemmed from a season-ending shoulder injury that caused him to miss the final two games of 2023.
The 26-year-old entered this offseason healthy and reportedly met with several teams, only no deal has been signed. Blackmon is projected to earn a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency by Spotrac, but the Bills are likely to get him cheaper this late in the offseason.