Ross Blacklock has been one of the most impressive risers over the past month or so. Is he in play for the Minnesota Vikings with the 25th overall pick?
TCU has developed a ton of NFL talent lately. This year alone, there are four Horned Frogs in contention to be top-50 picks in the NFL Draft. One of them, Ross Blacklock, has picked up considerable steam between the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.
His film is some of the best in this draft class, especially along the defensive line. There are only a few NFL-ready interior linemen in the 2020 class and Blacklock is one of them who is worthy of a high draft pick.
Blacklock declared early after his redshirt junior season in 2019, one that saw him dominate the Big 12. He finished the season with 3.5 sacks, 9.0 tackles for loss, and a plethora of disruptions up the gut. Despite only playing in 24 career games, Blacklock appears ready for the NFL.
Ross Blacklock – DT (TCU)
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 290 pounds
Pros:
- Unreal power up the middle
- Shoots gaps with incredible speed and explosion
- Two-gap ability as a rusher
- Strong in double teams
- A scary run defender with the speed to be a dominant interior pass rusher as well
- Great first step
- Motor and effort
Cons:
- Missed 2018 with an Achilles injury
- Needs to clean up his ability to shed blockers
- Tends to attack the B gap more than necessary
Why he could rise:
The lack of top-tier defensive line talent could push Blacklock up the board a bit on Day 1 of the draft. Teams with a need in the trenches might value him quite a bit more than others.
Why he could fall:
The run on offensive talent is going to move some other guys down, that’s just how the draft works. If skill players are available late in the first round, teams will likely value them over Blacklock and others.
NFL Draft Projection:
The consensus around Blacklock places him as a top-40 draft pick. Some, view him as a first-round talent with a ton of raw potential. Others see him as an option in the middle of the second round due to concerns about his experience and injury history.
Projection: Late-first, early-second round