Green Bay Packers: 3 Early Round Defensive Line Prospects
By Kenny Jilek
![COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 16: Ryan Hilinski #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks takes a hit from Justin Madubuike #52 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Kyle Field on November 16, 2019 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 16: Ryan Hilinski #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks takes a hit from Justin Madubuike #52 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Kyle Field on November 16, 2019 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/4fd340f9adfbec1753e8bdf0f2956c020360c09d96516b2fb57552717302606a.jpg)
Ross Blacklock – TCU
Ross Blacklock should be near the top of the Green Bay Packers’ draft board. He has a lot of great traits that don’t always necessarily show up in traditional stats. His 6’4″ 305-pound build is similar to that of Madubuike, but the extra inch of height and his slightly leaner body type give him a slight physical edge.
Despite being 6’4″, he manages to keep his center of gravity low when taking on run blocks and double teams. He is also explosive off the line and does it consistently on almost every play that he is in the game.
Despite only having 40 tackles and nine for a loss last season, he made a lot of plays much easier for the guys behind him by taking on multiple blockers. His best trait is his technique and power with his arms. He always gets his long arms extended into the offensive linemen’s chest and then can go anywhere he wants.
Against zone running schemes he can be a force as he steps well off the line and can cause offensive linemen to have to shift their path because he gets deep into their gap. Occasionally, this can work against him, because he gets too overzealous and opens a big cutback lane on the backside. Overall, though, he is definitely a plus defender against zone schemes.
In the pass rush, his willingness and effort give him something that Madubuike lacks. He only finished with 3.5 sacks in 2019, but his bull rush is much more consistent. Instead of being content with a stalemate, he is always trying to push the interior lineman back into the quarterback and give him no space to step up.
He also uses his elite ability to get his arms extended to utilize a solid push-pull or swim move. He used this move sparingly, but it has the potential to be one of the best interior swim moves in the NFL if he continues to develop it.
He also has a great motor and never gives up on a play. He is great at recognizing screens and stopping them in their tracks. He always chases the play and made a few tackles downfield that saved more yards or potentially touchdowns.
Every play he is going to play football hard. He needs to work on staying gap sound in the run game, but he has all the tools to be very effective in this league and the Green Bay Packers should take a deep look into getting him in this draft.