The pre-draft process for team personnel and the players hoping to hear their name called in the 2020 NFL draft has been as unique as ever this year, thanks to the coronavirus.
Still, NFL front offices have found ways to learn more about the players they are interested in selecting in the upcoming draft, and the most common way of doing so has been via video conferencing – much like how the rest of the world is communicating while staying at home.
The Seattle Seahawks have managed to keep many of the video conference meetings they’ve had private, but Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle revealed via Twitter that Seattle is one of 15 teams that held a video conference with TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock.
Ross Blacklock @1krozayy worked out for Texans before NFL shutdown of private workouts. He has had 15 video conferences, including Ravens, 49ers, Panthers, Titans and Seahawks https://t.co/zu87Nq4oJZ
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 20, 2020
Some fans may be skeptical seeing Seattle take a defensive tackle from TCU for the second year in a row, especially after L.J. Collier’s disappointing rookie campaign, but Blacklock boasts excellent agility, instinct and leverage as a gap penetrator and would be a good fit in coach Pete Carroll’s 4-3 base defense.
His stock has risen considerably since he declared for the draft, and at this point it’s hard to imagine Seattle could get him unless they took him with their first round pick.
Of course, it’s also not hard to imagine the Seahawks trading down into the early second round, acquiring a pick in the later rounds in the process, and using their new first pick on Blacklock.
With the draft only a few short days away, and defensive line still a big issue for the Seahawks, a player like Blacklock makes a lot of sense – and perhaps a reunion with Collier would bring out the best in both of them.
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