Vikings Trade for Texans Defensive Tackle Ross Blacklock, per Report

The third-year defensive lineman was a second-round pick by Houston in 2020.

As teams around the league are finalizing their rosters for Week 1, the Vikings have pulled off a trade to bolster their defensive front.

Minnesota is reportedly acquiring defensive tackle Ross Blacklock from the Texans, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The Vikings will also receive a seventh-round pick, while Houston gets a sixth-round pick.

Blacklock, 24, was a second-round pick by the Texans in 2020 after a productive college career at TCU. He was a freshman All-American in ’17 and a first-team All-Big 12 selection in ’19, when he recorded 40 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

In two seasons with Houston, Blacklock appeared in 29 games with three starts. He made 22 combined tackles last season with two sacks and six quarterback hits.

Blacklock will join a Minnesota defense that ranked 24th in the league in scoring, allowing 25.1 points per game. The Vikings also were 30th in yards allowed per game (383.6), notching 51 sacks as a team—second-most behind only Pittsburgh (55).

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