When Ross Blacklock was in high school at nearby Missouri City Elkins, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was earning his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year after the 2015 season.
Watt tied Hall of Fame outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor’s mark of three defensive player of the year awards with a league-leading 17.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss. Blacklock was finishing up his senior season at Elkins, and idolizing Watt the whole way.
“He’s an idol of mine,” Blacklock told reporters on Friday evening after the Texans drafted him 40th overall in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft. “I try to mirror my game after his, so it’s going to be surreal just being able to play next to a legend like that.”
Watt can use more than just another admirer, as deferential as Blacklock may be. The Texans need a formidable presence in the interior of the defensive line. D.J. Reader was providing a force for opposing offensive lines to contend with in his final two seasons with the Texans. Now, Reader is in Cincinnati after leaving in free agency, but the need still remains for Houston.
“I just want to be a sponge and gain as much knowledge as I possibly can and continue to grow,” Blacklock said.
The former TCU Horned Frog has the ability to play at the three technique and at the zero technique for the Texans at defensive tackle. It is that type of versatility that first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is looking for as he seeks to return the front seven to a more dominant presence at the line of scrimmage.
