Colts have a few picks on Day 2.
Indianapolis Colts fans will hold their breath until the No. 13 pick in the NFL Draft this year. With a chance to put the franchise in a positive direction going forward, there are many routes Chris Ballard could choose to go. It should not be overshadowed, however, that Day 2 of the draft may be just as important a Day 1.
After a first round trade with Washington last year, the Colts are now in possession of the No. 34 pick to go along with their own No. 44 pick. This puts them in an interesting spot with two relatively early second-round picks and the chance to get some quality value picks. All of this will obviously depend on what the No. 13 pick looks like, but Ross Blacklock is a guy to keep your eye on in Day 2.
The defensive tackle out of TCU decided to forego his junior year in December and declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. Blacklock is 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 305 pounds, very impressive size for a defensive lineman. In fact, he lost almost 30 pounds heading into his junior year, which helped his speed and ability to get off the line. Not to mention, he might have one of the coolest names in the draft.
His redshirt freshman year in 2017, Blacklock racked up 27 total tackles and 2.0 sacks which earned him a Freshman All-American award as well as the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. His 2018 season was lost due to an Achilles injury he suffered in training camp that offseason. Blacklock bounced back in 2019 though with 40 total tackles and 3.5 sacks which earned him First-Team All Big 12.
His tape is very impressive, but only starting one full season before declaring for the draft is somewhat of a red flag for many draft scouts. Teams look for experience from players coming out of college and that could be the reason why Blacklock is projected as a second round pick or even lower. This could be a concern for Ballard at 34 or 44.
If he were to continue to grow in Indy, Blacklock could be the missing piece in this Colts defensive line that struggled to provide pressure and stop the run many times last season. With no spots on the interior defensive line locked up heading into next season, Blacklock could have an immediate impact as well.
Blacklock is not a perfect prospect by any means, but he has the size and speed that scouts look for at the NFL level. His skill set projects to be better as a one-gap penetrator, which would fit well with the Colts.
He could be a great pick in the second round for Ballrd and company, but if they decide that defensive line is bigger need earlier in the draft, then there are certainly plenty of guys to choose from.
