Has enough athleticism to drop in coverage and penetrate the pocket. Weight: 254 lbs Biggest NFL Draft Stories Before the Combine Starts. If Jackson can capitalize on his potential and reach his considerably high ceiling, he could become a dominant edge rusher and arguably end up the best at his position in this class. Sign up for the Hell need to develop some strength to be impactful at the next level. Jackson is also an unreliable tackler. Teams should be eager to get him in the building and try to take advantage of his clear upside and dynamic athleticism. Jackson is an ascending pass-rusher with the athletic tools and upside capable of making him one of the Packers' first four picks in the 2022 NFL draft. While he skipped the agility drills at the combine, Jackson did each of them at his pro day; his 4.28 short shuttle and 7.09 3-cone drill each wouldve placed in the 83rd percentile or higher at the combine. The weight change and shift in scheme disrupted his growth in a key year from freshman to sophomore seasons, and the overall decisions made by a head coach and defensive coordinator who felt the heat on their seats weighed more towards trying to keep their jobs as opposed to developing their players. 49ers. Has enough athleticism to drop in coverage and penetrate the pocket. Consistently wraps up and finishes tackles in the backfield. Just one of those prospects is USC edge Drake Jackson. The USC OLB was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week following a performance against Washington State where he forced a fumble that the Trojans recovered for a touchdown. Specifically, he sometimes plays high and shoots his hands late. The question is, can he realize that potential? While his draft stock has fallen off a bit nationally, I still believe that he possesses elite traits that will really come alive at the NFL Combine. Thats his go-to move, but he also has an excellent spin move. Fantastic closing speed timed at 4.5 secs in the forty - with long arms to drag down quarterbacks and running backs. Jackson backed this up in the explosion drills at the combine - the only drills he participated in - where he finished seventh in the vertical jump and third in the broad jump among EDGEs. In many ways, he reminds me of a better version of former Trojan Devon Kennard, an eight-year veteran now playing with the Cardinals. Toronto, ON. 77. Needs more Leverage in his game. He took a step back during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season but returned to form in 2021. . Enter your email address to subscribe to NFL Sapient and receive notifications of new articles and analysis through your email. As signing day approached, Jackson was reportedly choosing between USC and my own alma mater, Arizona State. Moreover, the star defender must learn to capitalize on soft shoulders when offensive linemen present them. While he has shown he has great athleticism, his high-end plays simply do not come out enough. Even on the morning of the announcement, he still hadnt made up his mind. While others have ascended, the USC OLB has fallen down the pecking order. Height leaves him susceptible to cut blocks he must learn to defeat with his hands. Please check your email for a confirmation. Tends to be much too aggressive with angles. His athleticism and pass-rushing prowess should have him off the board early on Day 2. He wont achieve that first-round hype from the summer, but it would be a surprise to see Jackson slide past the late second-round range in the 2022 NFL Draft. Jackson is an impressive athlete. Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) February. While the decrease in weight was simply a result of his having gotten sick and losing his appetite in the offseason, the talented pass rusher liked how he felt, looked and performed in his new frame. This would be well-below the league average for both the defensive end, as well as the outside linebacker position. Statistically, this ended up being his best year, but the context matters. Drake Jackson NFL Draft Profile Position: Outside Linebacker School: USC Current Year: Junior Height: 6'2 5/8 Weight: 254 pounds Wingspan: 82 5/8 Arm: 34 Hand: 10 1/8 Drake Jackson Scouting Report Having entered the season with a high level of expectation, Jackson has gotten lost in a deeply talented EDGE class. Strength is also an issue here. Moreover, the California native has impressive power and leg drive. Very good first step and acceleration. Eagles replace two Pro Bowlers in Roob's mock draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Drake London USC #15 Junior Moorpark, CA 6'5" 210. Has great bend/flexibility; able to get down low and move around blockers while maintaining momentum. All Rights Reserved. His standard rush isnt lacking either, using his bend and quickness to force his way to the quarterback. USC EDGE Drake Jackson Scouting Report. April 11, 2022, 2:15 PM USC EDGE Drake Jackson 6-foot-3 265 pounds Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade 5.69 possible second-rounder; starter potential TL;DR scouting report A 4-star. Although not particularly flashy statistics for a pass rusher, it was just a precursor for more extraordinary things to come. As a true freshman, he played at nearly 275 lbs but slimmed down to roughly 255 lbs by the time he was a junior in 2021 due to USC's change in defensive schemes. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Five USC players have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine: Drake London, Drake Jackson, Keaontay Ingram, Chris Steele, and Isaac Taylor-Stuart. D'Marco Jackson, Appalachian State; Drake Jackson, USC; Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State; Nate . Jackson was an immediate contributor at USC. 10 1/8
Jackson explodes out of his stance as a pass-rusher and follows that up with good acceleration in his next few steps. Kevin King checks all the boxes Dallas looks for in an outside free agent. Former basketball player who committed to play both sports at USC before focusing on . As a run defender, the USC OLB repeatedly demonstrates impressive pursuit speed, whether close to the line of scrimmage or in space. Strong wrap up tackler. - Named The Press-Enterprise's Defensive Player of the Year and 2018 All-Big VIII League Co-MVP. When tasked with being the primary edge-setter, Jackson just doesnt have the strength and technical refinement to get the job done. Perhaps the writing's been on the wall since his breakout season as a true freshman. Jackson played at 275 pounds as a true DE for USC in 2019. Shoots like a rocket off the line of scrimmage, giving offensive tackles little time to react. The talk of the 2022 NFL Draft class at the edge position centers around Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson. He has a good ability to drive through offensive lineman and plug running lanes between the tackles. As said above, needs more consistency against the run. NFL Draft analysis for Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC CBSSports.com 247Sports . Whichever team selects Jackson needs to be aware that he will require a lot of coaching up. In the 11th hour, it seemed as if the Sun Devils had stolen him right out from USCs own backyard, but Jackson had a last-second change of heart and stayed close to home. The star pass rusher has the length to manage distance and control the nature of engagement (half-man versus full-man). One of the nations top pass rushers, Drake Jackson is an immediate starter with elite upside at 4-3 defensive end and 3-4 outside linebacker. Brian is also the owner of the Infinity Sports Network, which NFL Draft Lounge belongs to. 2 TD. The former top-150 recruit started 44 consecutive games to end his career and was an All-SEC selection in both 2019 and 2020. Looks like he could put more on his frame. Jackson is an explosive player off the line of scrimmage that is able to beat his opponents out of their stance quite regularly. Whats more, Jackson does not recognize his ability to threaten the inside and outside tracks on a play-to-play basis. Stephen Jones talks Tony Pollard and franchise tag, Terence Steele recovery, Tyron Smith returning and more. Name: Drake Jackson Position: EDGE Height: 6'2" Weight: 254 pounds Drake Jackson Career. As a three-year starter for the Trojans, Jackson was deployed almost exclusively on the edge, both as a stand-up player and with his hand in the ground. In 2020, Jackson proved he can succeed at this lighter weight. Intangibles: Jackson doesnt always play with the same tenacity every play, although its hard to know how much of that is due to his below-average strength. Very good playing strength and has worked hard in the weight room, adding bulk and filling out his frame. Below-average lower-body strength and balance. This can be seen with most of the current USC roster, as well. Currently, he sits as the 61st overall player on the Pro Football Network Top 300 Big Board. With a 6-foot-4 frame and the athleticism to be a threat at all levels of the field, London has a tantalizing skill set. Needs to expand pass-rush arsenal. Here is everything you. He quickly established himself as a standout athlete. Lets dive into those before looking at the areas for improvement on his report. The 49ers met with Jackson at the NFL Scouting Combine. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'AaRmpLCHSPZ9gMA-UDXWUg',sig:'m3LfwlbybvcslptHYiOyl4D16pSAYJi5z5RKaKFGrgM=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1237591613',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); 23-year-old Ryerson University Sport Media Graduate. Despite the challenges presented by the 2020 college football season, Jackson was still one of the premier pass rushers in the sport. Be sure to followNFLDraft Lounge for more scouting report coverage, as well as more on Drake Jackson. Copyright 2020 Newsup. Possessing exceptional size and length even at a young age, Jackson tallied 29 tackles and 2 pass deflections in his sophomore season. During his 2017 campaign, he amassed 28 tackles, 6 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Jackson needs to get better at using his pass rush moves and cycling between them, for one. Has a wide-receiver like release. In 2018, the gifted pass rusher continued his impressive career. Name: Drake JacksonPosition: EDGEHeight: 62Weight: 254 pounds, Combine Results: 36.5 vertical jump, 127 broad jump. Boston Colleges Jaiden Woodbey Is Less Tweener, More Swiss Army Knife, Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Michael Jefferson, WR, Louisiana | NFL Draft Scouting Report, Las Vegas Raiders 2023 Draft Prospects To Target at NFL Combine Include Anthony Richardson, Dawand Jones, and Marvin Mims, NFL Mock Draft 2023: Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Rodgers, DeAndre Hopkins, and Daron Payne Trades Impact Round 1. USC EDGE Drake Jackson 6-foot-3 265 pounds Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade 5.69 possible second-rounder; starter potential TL;DR scouting report A 4-star Rivals recruit (No. Raadpleeg ons privacybeleid en cookiebeleid voor meer informatie over hoe we uw gegevens gebruiken. Drake Jackson Scouting Report. There is a lot to like about Jacksons overall game but he is a very unrefined prospect at this point in his evaluation. This January scouting profile ends with a typically solid Round 2 grade. Builds to top speed but must take the right line to beat backs to the edge. Jackson, who just turned 21 years old, produced 25.0 tackles for losses and 12.5 sacks over 28 games (26 starts) at USC. For more on Pickens, check out our scouting report on him. For me, watching what Jackson did next for the Trojans, it hurt even more. He is adept at scraping laterally across the line of scrimmage to locate the ball carrier in the run game. UCLA vs USC Scouting Report. I think he thinks hes more athletic than he is. He has the length to be disruptive at the point of attack, but he doesnt currently have a ton of weapons in his armory. 0:12. On film, Jackson has tremendous quickness off the line of scrimmage to beat offensive linemen out of their stances. 2022 NFL Draft: Kenneth Walker III Scouting Report. https://draftwire.usatoday.com/lists/drake-jackson-scouting-report-2022-nfl-draft-usc-trojans-football/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Doesnt get a lot of drive out of his lower body. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. BaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer. His projected 40 time would also be solid for the linebacker position, but well-above the league average for defensive ends. Draws consistent double teams and can still beat them too, Works primarily as a stand-up rusher but also puts his hand in the dirt. After his stellar high school career, Jackson was listed as a four-star recruit by 247Sports Composite Rankings. Although he projects as a true 3-4 OLB at the NFL level, Jackson has some versatility to his scouting report. Coming out of high school, Jackson was a 4-star recruit and the third-ranked EDGE in his class. We think Jackson is a high-upside developmental prospect who has value in the second/third round range. Although his junior season may not have lived up to expectation, there is still significant NFL Draft interest in the USC OLB, with a reportedly high number of team visits during the pre-draft process. He enters full-man engagement too willingly and fails to regularly use his lateral agility, jab steps and body language to force openings. Jackson has significantly bulked since we saw him on the field, and he projects as a threatening outside speed rusher at the NFL level. U kunt op elk moment uw keuzes wijzigen door naar Uw privacy-instellingen te gaan. Great length. Quick in all aspects of his game, easily changes direction, and chases the action hard. Jackson is also an impressive lateral athlete. Klik op Instellingen beheren voor meer informatie en om uw keuzes te beheren. 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