For many fans of the Minnesota Vikings, 2020 doesn't seem like that long ago. However, that was the year that defensive tackle Ross Blacklock was the 40th overall pick out of TCU by the Houston Texans.
Blacklock spent one season with the Vikings in 2022 but has struggled to carve out a role in the NFL. He has played for four teams in the last two seasons and is looking for a new team after being released by the New York Giants earlier this week.
Former Minnesota Vikings DL Ross Blacklock might be running out of chances in the NFL
Ross Blacklock's time with Minnesota wasn't very memorable. In his lone season with the purple and gold, he arrived with the Vikings in a trade with the Texans that sent him and a seventh-round pick to Minnesota in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Blacklock played in 11 games and only had two tackles, one of which was a sack on New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones in a 33-26 comeback win in Week 11. That season, he played 139 defensive snaps for Minnesota in 2022 but was waived in August 2023 and did not return to the team.
Although he is only 26 years old, Ross Blacklock hasn't started a game since leaving Houston and has only played in eight games since his time in Minnesota. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman has yet to live up to his potential, but could have an opportunity to find a role for himself this offseason if he can land with a team that can make the most of his talents.
It is disappointing to see a second-round pick relegated to practice squads and futures contracts, but Blacklock has the youth and potential to turn things around in a situation where he can excel.
It could be a while before Blacklock gets a call with the 2025 NFL Draft right around the corner and the potential of undrafted free agents taking priority. An opportunity might not come until closer to preseason when teams try to fill out their rosters with depth, meaning his agent will need to work hard to keep his name relevant among NFL general managers.
Reuniting with the Vikings seems unlikely, considering they were aggressive in free agency with their defensive line and still have the draft and undrafted free agents to consider. But anything can happen in the NFL, and stranger things have happened for the purple and gold.