Former Viking Surfaces in Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers are in the driver’s seat to reach the postseason, possibly in line to win the NFC North, and they’ll evidently effectuate that task by auditioning a former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle: Ross Blacklock.
A former Vikings defensive tackle has resurfaced in Green Bay for a tryout, creating an unexpected NFC North wrinkle as the season moves ahead.
Blacklock played for the purple team in 2022, and if he plays his cards right, he could join the cheese team as early as this week.
Ex-Vikings DT Ross Blacklock Tries Out for Packers
A practice squad gig could be on the way.
Blacklock Gets a Look from Green Bay
Blacklock is on the menu for a Packers audition.
SBNation‘s Justin Mosqueda wrote Tuesday, “The Green Bay Packers worked out six players on Tuesday, their off day this week, following three moves on their practice squad. The Packers have an open roster spot on their 17-man practice squad right now, but the assumption I’m working with is that the team will attempt to re-sign receiver Will Sheppard, who the team waived on Monday, after passing through waivers.”
“Ross Blacklock: Blacklock is a former second-round pick who was picked 40th overall in the 2020 draft by the Houston Texans. He hasn’t played a regular-season game since 2023, but Blacklock has 44 games, 3 starts and 918 defensive snaps under his belt at the NFL level. As far as experience goes, Blacklock is the biggest name on the list.”
At the time of this article’s publication, no contract had materialized for Blacklock.
Mosqueda added, “Since playing his last game, Blacklock was signed late in the 2024 season by the New York Giants’ practice squad, which then led to a reserve/futures contract opportunity. The Giants then released Blacklock just before the 2025 NFL Draft. This is Blacklock’s first workout since December 11th of 2024.”
The Packers’ Current DTs
If Green Bay inks Blacklock for the remainder of the season, he’d join this DT room, which is a bit lite with Kenny Clark now playing for the Dallas Cowboys after the Micah Parsons trade:
- Devonte Wyatt (Injured)
- Colby Wooden
- Karl Brooks
- Warren Brinson
- Nazir Stackhouse
- James Ester (Practice Squad)
- Dante Barnett (Practice Squad)
Blacklock, in theory, would nestle in with Ester and Barnett on the practice squad.
A to Z Sports‘ Wendell Ferreira on the Blacklock audition: “The most notable name is one you shouldn’t have heard in a long time. Defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, a former second-round pick who’s already spent time in the NFC North for the Minnesota Vikings, was part of the process.”
“The interior of the defensive line is a particularly interesting need now, after Devonte Wyatt got hurt — he’s now out for the season with a low-leg fracture.”
Blackock’s NFL Bio
The New York Giants picked up Blacklock late in the 2024 season, adding him to the practice squad in mid-December. New York didn’t produce anything meaningful down the stretch, but a futures contract suggested he’d get a fair shot at a summer roster look.
That idea didn’t survive the 2025 offseason.
Here’s Blacklock’s NFL path through five seasons:
- Houston Texans (2020–2021)
- Minnesota Vikings (2022)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2023)
- Indianapolis Colts (2023)
- Tennessee Titans (2023)
- New York Giants (2024)
The 27-year-old has logged 44 games with 3 starts, producing 40 total tackles, 9 quarterback hits, 5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. His heaviest workload came in 2022, when he handled 455 defensive snaps for the Houston Texans, the club that drafted him in Round 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Time in Minnesota
Three and a half years back, the Vikings sent a 6th-Round pick to Houston and brought in Blacklock plus a 7th-Rounder. The TCU product didn’t gain traction in Minnesota and hit roster cuts once Jonathan Bullard and Jaquelin Roy secured jobs in the summer of 2023.
Blacklock logged 139 defensive snaps with the Vikings and became one of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first trade acquisitions.
Once Minnesota moved on, Blacklock cycled through four teams without locking down a long-term role. His career is trending downward, but the Packers tryout put at least one more opportunity on the table.
Packers in Power Rankings
Without Blacklock, NFL.com‘s Eric Edholm called Green Bay the NFL’s fifth-best team in Week 14.
He explained, “Matt LaFleur has taken some heat from Packer backers, but he coached a near-perfect game against the Lions and now has his team on a strong vector not only toward the playoffs but also to a division crown. Yes, the Pack must deal with the Bears twice and keep the Lions at bay, but things are lining up pretty well for Green Bay heading into the home stretch.”
“Jordan Love delivered a gem of a game in Detroit; if he and the offensive line can play up to that level from here on out, the Packers are going to be a very tough team to deal with come January. The defense has had its hands full a few times but has kept scores relatively low and delivered some knockout performances. There aren’t too many complete teams in the league in 2025, but the Packers are pretty close to that ideal at their best.”
Blacklock will turn 28 next summer.
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