6 defensive tackles the Vikings could select in the 2020 NFL Draft
By Chris Schad
Ross Blacklock (TCU)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 290 pounds
2019 Stats:
- 40 tackles (9 for a loss)
- 3.5 sacks
Ross Blacklock sat out the entire 2018 season for the Horned Frogs, but his jump from his freshman year to his junior season is what has him as a solid draft prospect.
The TCU product’s production is modest, but as mentioned earlier, the Vikings don’t really care about that. What they do care about is athleticism, which Blacklock has.
At his size, he ran a 4.9-second 40-yard dash, which is crazy. His agility also should induce nightmares for offensive linemen, which showed up in a 4.67-second 20-yard shuttle.
The intriguing thing about Blacklock is that we don’t really know what he is in terms of a pass-rusher. His PRP rating was modest at 5.5 percent, but PFF’s Mike Renner believes he wasn’t asked to do much of it under Gary Patterson.
"“Patterson’s scheme tasks their linemen with stunting and slanting on nearly every single snap and Blacklock’s first step stuck out like a sore thumb on their defensive line. Unfortunately, that emphasis on scheme makes him a difficult evaluation as you rarely ever see him go one-on-one with an offensive lineman with any sort of freedom to go make a play. “"
If that’s not enough, MockDraftable has one of Blacklock’s comparisons as Sharrif Floyd, who made for a great compliment to Linval Joseph with Minnesota before injuries cut his career short.
An athletic specimen that needs to refine his technique should fall into the Vikings’ wheelhouse, making Blacklock an excellent pick in the late first or early second-round if they opt to trade back.