Ross

Blacklock

The Texans need all the help they can get on the defensive side of the ball after allowing a league-worst 6.1 yards per play in 2019. Blacklock (6’3/290) was a two-year starting nose tackle at TCU who declared after a 9.0 TFL and 3.5 sack redshirt junior season. He lived up to his top-250 high school recruit ranking by being named a Freshman All-American, then missed his entire sophomore year with an achilles injury, but fortunately rebounded as a second-team All-Big 12 selection last season. He relies on burst and agility as an interior rusher but has room to grow both physically and with his technique, particularly with his hand usage. Despite a disappointing 21st percentile performance at the NFL Combine, Blacklock profiles as a three-tech with high-energy as a pass rusher and questionable power against the run.

Earlier on Friday, Pelissero reported that the Colts are also exploring moving down, so it appears the first two selections on Friday are both up for grabs. The Bengals have also been rumored to be interested in TCU DT Ross Blacklock as well as Baylor WR Denzel Mims. This is considered a loaded Day 2 of the draft, so Cincinnati may feel they can still get their player and acquire more capital by moving down a few spots in the draft. Stay tuned.

Blalock (6'3/290) checks all the boxes in terms of possessing the requisite athleticism at the next level, but scouts have indicated a desire to see those traits show out on a more consistent basis. A relentless pass-rusher, Blalock can be hit-or-miss as a run stopper at times. An achilles injury cut short his 2018 campaign, but Blalock managed to largely regain his old form upon his return last season. Blalock would certainly help plug a hole on the Bengals’ porous defensive line.

Blacklock (6'3/290) notched 4.97 seconds unofficially on his first run. He will have a shot at bettering that on his second run. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote earlier this month that the TCU standout “checks the boxes for size, core strength and athleticism,” though he would like to see his athleticism play a little more consistently on the field.

"[Blacklock] displays contact balance and length at the point of attack, although his shed and pass rush technique are still a work-in-progress,” Brugler writes of the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder. The analyst notes that Blacklock’s physical traits do not always pay off consistently, on the more critical side of the ledger. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares Blacklock to the Giants’ B.J. Hill. We wouldn’t rule Blacklock out for a late selection in Round 1.

"[Blacklock is] a hit-or-miss run defender,” Zierlein writes, “but he’s a relentless pass rusher with elite lateral quickness and change of direction to exploit interior galoots and open pathways to the pocket.” The analyst notes that the 6-foot-4, 305-pound TCU defender possesses “menacing disruptive qualities as a gap seeker” but would like to improvements on the fronts of technique and hand usage, observing that Blacklock can be “inconsistent holding the point and keeping his feet.” Blacklock could potentially push for a late Day 1 selection later this spring, depending on how the rest of the process plays out.

“He is an athletic lineman with great size and power, and he plays with good effort,” McShay writes of the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Blacklock. The analyst currently ranks the TCU defender as his No. 12 overall prospect for April’s draft. While Blacklock came back strong in 2019 from an Achilles injury which cost him the whole of the 2018 campaign -- he logged 40 tackles (9.0 for loss) and three sacks in the fall -- medical checks figure to be important, here, as pro teams look to make sure that there are no lingering loose ends with the earlier injury.

Blacklock (6'4/305) appeared in all 12 of the Horned Frogs’ games this season, accounting for 40 total tackles (9.0 for loss) and 3.5 sacks. He redshirted on two separate occasions, in 2016 and 2018, with the latter being as a result of an Achilles injury suffered during fall camp. Blacklock is currently ranked 12th among draft-eligible interior defensive linemen by The Draft Network. At this stage in the process he projects to be a Day 3 selection.

All three analysts in lockstep on this one. Blacklock (6'4/329) did not play a down during the 2018 campaign after sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury -- sans contact -- during preseason camp a year ago. During a healthy 2017 campaign, the former four-star recruit logged 27 tackles (6.5 for loss) and two sacks. So long as he can maintain his health this fall, he could be in for a big season. We are looking forward to seeing him build off that encouraging redshirt freshman campaign. On the recovery front, Blacklock was cleared for football work earlier this spring. All systems go for August camp, it would appear.

Blacklock (6'3/326) was a four-star recruit for the past cycle. He’s put up 22 tackles (4.5 for loss) and a pair of sacks this season. The Missouri City, Texas, native shares this fresh Big 12 honor with Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray.