The Minnesota Vikings have made some big trades over the years. But for every Jared Allen they’ve gotten in return, they’ve also stumbled into a player like Ross Blacklock.
Blacklock was acquired in a 2022 trade with the Houston Texans but never made the desired impact with the Vikings. After his release following that season, Blacklock has bounced around the NFL and is now making his latest stop with the Atlanta Falcons.
According to The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, Blacklock was one of several signings the Falcons made on Monday. While he does unite with former Minnesota offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, he also finds another chance to stick on a roster as his career reaches a critical stage.
Former Minnesota Vikings DL Ross Blacklock hopes to stick with Atlanta Falcons
The 40th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Blacklock came to Minnesota after a disappointing stint with the Texans.
The Vikings were looking for defensive line depth after waiving Armon Watts at the end of training camp, and Blacklock was supposed to fill that role and provide some of the upside he showed while collecting 40 total tackles and 3.5 sacks during his final collegiate season at TCU.
But whatever pass-rushing ability Minnesota thought Blacklock had, it never translated to the NFL. He had just two total tackles and one sack in 11 games as a Viking during the 2022 season and has appeared in just four games since his release, splitting time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans during the 2023 campaign.
Since then, Blacklock has been a mainstay on NFL practice squads spending time with the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants before latching on with the Falcons on Monday.
While he can rush the passer, it’s to a limited degree, with 45 total pressures and four career sacks on 558 pass-rushing snaps, according to PFF. He has also been a liability against the run with just 17 run stops on 359 snaps.
Atlanta will likely hope that Blacklock can be a rotational pass rusher or just a depth piece to get them through the offseason. But it’s an experiment Minnesota has long since given up on.
With Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange joining the team in this year's draft and Jalen Redmond coming off a breakout 2025 campaign, the interior of the Vikings’ defensive line will hope to thrive with a new look and find their own production as they head into next season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google