2020 NFL Combine: 3 Players the Cincinnati Bengals should Watch for

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – DECEMBER 28: Bryce Love #20 of the Stanford Cardinal runs out of the grasp by Ross Blacklock #90 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half of the Valero Alamo Bowl at Alamodome on December 28, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

The defensive tackle position group has been largely overlooked as a potential target for the Cincinnati Bengals. Rightfully so, as the Bengals haven’t taken an interior defensive lineman in the second round since 1984 when they drafted Pete Koch out of the University of Maryland.

Still, due to the fact that the Bengals finished dead last in run defense last year, Ross Blacklock can’t be overlooked.

Blacklock, weighing in at 305 pounds and standing at 6’4″, ranks highly in every big board out there. When considering the athleticism he pairs with that frame, it’s easy to understand why.

Loose hips, explosive off the ball, flexible, and smooth in changing direction can all be used to describe the Texas native. It’s also why he may be a big standout on the field come Saturday.

Blacklock racked up 3.5 sacks during his final year as a TCU Horned Frog, which is impressive considering he did so from an interior position while facing countless double teams. Put him on a roster with Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, Sam Hubbard, and Carl Lawson, and he should be free to wreak havoc.

The Bengals are known for trading back in the second round. If Blacklock is a player they key in on, they could employ that strategy once again and pick up the talented defensive tackle while also gaining draft capital.

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