Prospects for Jags fans to watch: TCU DL Ross Blacklock

With the Jaguars desperate for some help in the trenches, Blacklock could be an option at pick 20 or 42 as the team looks for some big men.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten themselves into some cap trouble this offseason, currently sitting over the league cap by approximately $3.4 million. Going into the new year, the Jaguars will likely be making some cuts in order to create some much-needed cap space. One of these players may be defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.

Dareus’ current cap hit for the 2020 season is 22.5 million, making his chances to remain on the team under his current salary nearly impossible. While it is possible for the Jaguars to release and then re-sign the former Pro-Bowl defensive lineman, the team likely still needs a long-term replacement for big No. 99.

One player that has recently been mocked to Jacksonville is Texas Christian defensive tackle, Ross Blacklock. Blacklock was arguably TCU’s best defensive player, along with cornerback Jeff Gladney. Blacklock (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) was a force on the inside for the Horned Frogs, racking up 9 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2019.

With the Jaguars desperate for some help in the trenches, Blacklock could be an option at pick 20 or 42 as the team looks for some big men.

So, what does this young Horned Frog bring to the NFL?

If there’s one thing Blacklock does well, it’s fighting off double teams. Numerous times throughout Blacklock’s film, I saw him shoot the gap on double teams, disrupting the play in the backfield. Of course, this helps free up other teammates in the trenches for favorable 1-on-1s.

Here is just one example of TCU’s No. 90 splitting a double team with his explosive and quick get-off.

Talk about quick.

The big man is explosive. In the clip below, he displays his top attribute again by lining up on the center’s left shoulder but having the quickness and agility to penetrate the A-gap on his opposite shoulder to make a play in the backfield.

 

It’s his quickness that will most resonate with teams and will likely help to solidify Blacklock’s status as a late Day 1, early Day 2 selection come April. With the NFL combine starting Sunday, expect Blacklock to put together a heck of a week in Indianapolis. If he does, you will start to see the Horned Frog be discussed as a round-one selection.

Blacklock also brings lateral quickness to his game, a definite strength for him as a run defender. In the clip below, Blacklock beats the offensive lineman off the line and has the lateral quickness to shut down outside zone runs with ease.

If Dave Caldwell and the rest of the Jacksonville front office decide to address the cornerback or offensive line positions early in free agency, fans could see the team take a hard look at Blacklock. With uncertainty surrounding Dareus, Blacklock could slide right in to replace him, forming a young solid defensive tackle duo along with former first-round selection, Taven Bryan.

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco seems to agree as he recently mocked Blacklock 20th overall to the Jaguars in his latest mock draft. Regardless of where he goes, Blacklock will be an instant playmaker for a team, and hopefully, it is in teal and black.

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