Robert Blanton to Vikings: Video Highlights, Analysis and Scouting Report

Robert Blanton arrived at Notre Dame as one of the top high school cornerbacks in the country. An accomplished player, he finished his collegiate career with eight interceptions, 19.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. 

What Blanton Brings to the Team

Though he arrived at South Bend as a cornerback, Blanton enters the NFL as a safety. His various measurements suggest he should have no trouble handling the speed and general difficulty of the NFL.

As reported by Matt Fortuna of ESPN.com, Blanton ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds at Notre Dame's pro day in early April. That would have ranked 12th among defensive backs at the combine.

This is not to say Blanton completely fell flat with his actual performances at the combine. He excelled in both the 20-yard shuttle and the three-cone drill, a sign that he has well above-average agility.

Size-wise, Blanton is plenty big enough to handle safety duties in the NFL. He stands at roughly 6-foot-1 and he weighs a little over 200 pounds. Not surprisingly, he has a reputation for being a very good tackler.

Blanton is entering the NFL with plenty of experience under his belt. He started 50 of 51 career games at Notre Dame, putting up solid numbers across the board.

What Experts Are Saying

Blanton is no different from every other prospect in the eyes of scouts. There are things scouts like, and there are things scouts don't like.

Good stuff first. Here's what NFLDraftScout.com likes about Blanton:

"

Tall and athletic with plus length for the position (31" arms). He plays with the physical nature to shed defenders and work off blocks. Good toughness and recognition skills to fight through traffic and blow up screens. Plays with good fundamentals and takes accurate angles to the ballcarrier. A strong, aggressive tackler and doesn't back down against the run. Physical downfield and matches up well with bigger receivers. Tough and fiery with very good competitiveness … high effort player.

"

In a nutshell, Blanton's best attributes are his size, his toughness and his attitude.

However, the book on Blanton is that his coverage skills need some work. Here's what the National Football Post had to say about Blanton's abilities in coverage:

"

In press bail, he will sit into his drop initially and will stay somewhat compact/balanced with his footwork in his drop. Gets good enough depth, but again will pop upright and get leggy out of his breaks in space. The same flaws show up in zone coverage, as he bends over at the waist when he plays with his back to the sideline despite having a solid feel of routes developing around him. He will too often take additional steps in order to collect himself before getting out of his breaks and closing on the ball.

"

The verdict, according to the Post, is that Blanton projects as a reserve player:

"

Is a nice sized kid with some press man skills and upside. Is a bit scheme limited, but he's a good size/speed athlete who can re-route off the ball. Has some starting upside, but as of now looks like a draftable reserve who needs to play on the outside.

"

So if Blanton is going to be a star, he'll have to be a self-made star.

Rookie Impact

It's highly unlikely that Blanton will make an immediate impact in his rookie season. He certainly won't be starting, meaning Blanton will have to get playing time as a backup or on special teams.

Given his tackling abilities, it's probable that Blanton will be used as a special teamer.

Pick Analysis:

Question the Vikings will be, where do they line up Blanton? He played CB in college but probably translates best to safety at the next level. Likely that his biggest contributions as a rookie will be in the kicking game.