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GENERAL REPORT
GRADE: 5.92
Body Structure: Jackson is tall and rangy with a high-waist and adequate muscle definition. He has long legs and arms, but a lack of speed and explosion makes him suspect as a 4-3 defensive end. However, he could add more weight to his frame and shift inside to tackle.
Athletic Ability: Jackson has adequate quickness and footwork, showing balance and decent acceleration attacking the backfield. He is more of a run containment defensive end with adequate speed and change-of-direction agility to be much of a pass rusher. He has 18.5 career sacks, but 8.5 came as a sophomore. He might be better off bulking up and shifting to tackle at the pro level. He has the frame to put on the additional weight and with his impressive height, he could be a problem for quarterbacks trying to fire the ball at the line of scrimmage, as he uses his solid high school basketball skills to leap and deflect passes (ranked second in the nation among down linemen with 10 PBUs as a junior and had 18 for his career). He does a good job of maintaining position at the point of attack and knows how to use his hands in order to gain separation. GRADE: 6.4
Football Sense: Jackson needs more than a few reps to retain plays, but should be able to handle the mental aspect of playing on the defensive line in the NFL. He is a functional read-and-react type who does a decent job sifting through traffic. There are questions about why he's shown great effort one moment and then shut down his motor the next; needs to show better awareness to double teams. GRADE: 5.4
Character: Jackson is well-liked by his teammates and coaching staff, and was considered one of the team's prime locker room leaders. He commands respect on the field for his ability and is the type of player you never have to worry about getting into trouble. He is involved in community affairs and has been responsible and respectful. GRADE: 6.2
Competitiveness: Jackson has an up-and-down motor. When he decides to play at full speed, he makes it difficult for the offensive linemen to block him, as he can pressure the outside shoulder of an offensive tackle and generate the strength and hand punch to drive his man back into the pocket. He shows decent urgency in his play, but will shut down for small stretches. He does what is asked in the weight room and is always on time for practices or meetings. GRADE: 5.8
Work Habits: Jackson is a big-framed player and if he adds bulk, could be an effective tackle in a 4-3 defensive alignment. He has adequate explosion off the ball, but for a player his size, he does not demonstrate the brute strength needed to defeat blocks when meeting the offensive tackle head-on. His reported weight-room numbers are nothing to get you excited. GRADE: 5.8
ATHLETIC REPORT
GRADE: 6.18
Explosion/Pursuit: Jackson has some rush quickness, but lacks the sudden initial step displayed as a sophomore. He has quick hands, but is inconsistent in executing his punch to shock and jolt. He will generally reside along the line of scrimmage and is not the type to get much penetration or pressure the quarterback. For a player his size, he does not get great leverage off the snap. He does get good separation, thanks to his size and long arms, but has to be more consistent playing square in the trenches and use his effective crossover and up-and-under moves with more regularity. He can hold his ground firmly at the point of attack, but is slow to shed. GRADE: 5.7
Strength at Point: Jackson needs to play lower in his pads and play with more leverage in order to be effective. He lacks the natural brute strength to hold ground at the point of attack, but when he keeps his pads down and utilizes his hands, he can stack and control. He is much more effective in run containment then when trying to push the pocket, despite 30 pressures and 18.5 sacks for his career. When he gets too high in his pads, he fails to split or stack vs. double teams and can lose leverage. When he does not keep his hands in front, he gets tied up too often as he does not properly extend his arms to keep blockers off his body. GRADE: 5.7
Use of Hands: Jackson needs to learn better hand technique, as he does an adequate job of protecting his feet, disengaging, shedding, locking out and working the two-gap. He has quick hands, showing good cross-face action, but will expose his body and does not always keep blockers away. He has the strength to throw and jerk down a blocker, but must be more active with his hands to gain success. With his long arms, big hands and wide base, he should be much mire effective shedding blocks than he has been. What he does excel in is using that long reach to high point the ball, delivering a great amount of pass break-ups at the line of scrimmage. GRADE: 6.3
Lateral Pursuit/Effort: Jackson has adequate lateral agility and change-of-direction skills. He has the short-area speed to chase the ball, but does not make a lot of plays from behind or across the field. When his motor is functioning properly, he flashes a burst to close. He is good at diagnosing plays, but does not seem to have the range to make plays away from the line. GRADE: 5.6
Tackling Ability: Jackson has the size and strength to have success locking up and has enough power behind his hand punch to punish. When he squares his shoulders and stays low in his pads, he does a good job of getting to the ball playing off cut blocks. His best asset could be his long arms he uses effectively to wrap up. Will miss tackles working in space. He hits, wraps and grabs with effectiveness, but looks a little lead-footed when having to work down the line to make the play. GRADE: 6.4
Run Defense: When he stays low in his pads, Jackson maintains position and defeats blocks one-on-one. When he gets too high in his stance, his lack of hand usage allows tackles to get into his body and wash Jackson out. He is best vs. plays in front of him, as he tends to grab at ballcarriers when they get by his side. GRADE: 6.9
Pass Rush: Jackson regressed as a pass rusher the last two years, failing to come close to matching his impressive 2006 numbers. He lacks that sudden first step, but does have very good club, rip and bull rush moves to finish. He shows better tricks when stunting inside, where he will be a better fit. As a pass rusher, he has an effective swim move and can get some pressure on the quarterback. He needs to show better explosion when trying to fire off the edge to flush the quarterback out. He appears more comfortable working in-line than when having to come off the edge. As a defensive tackle, he can make better use of his long arms better to get a push and gain leverage off the offensive guard. GRADE: 6.5
Closing on the QB: When Jackson chases flat down the line, he shows good ability to close. He has a few pass rush moves to penetrate, but looks more comfortable in run containment than flushing out the passer. He is not consistent, but has the functional speed to close the deal on the quarterback coming off the twist or if he frees himself up on the pass rush. GRADE: 6.4
Instincts/Recognition: For a player with his size and long arms, Jackson stays blocked too long. He is only adequate to react and find the ball when having to redirect down the line, as he prefers to let the play absorb into him. He does not have the explosion needed to get off the ball quick enough, but in plays directed at him, he sees the ball quick enough to react, wrap and secure, as he has a good feel for block pressure. GRADE: 6.1
Compares To: MARCUS SPEARS, Dallas -- Jackson shows flashes of brilliance but you can see an overall lack of consistency in his game. He is probably a better fit as a defensive tackle, where his adequate burst and change-of-direction agility will not be exposed as they would on the edge. That versatility will likely make him more inviting to a team that will utilize a 3-4 alignment.
OVERALL GRADE: 6.14
--Report by Dave-Te Thomas
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