drake jackson, usc scouting report
Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 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. For more on Pickens, check out our scouting report on him. Drake Jackson is flying under the radar, but that could benefit the Cowboys. Name: Drake Jackson Position: EDGE Height: 6'2" Weight: 254 pounds Drake Jackson Career. But USC junior outside linebacker Drake Jackson eliminated any doubt Friday as he declared that the 2021 season will be his last in college before leaving for the NFL. Drake Jackson has been a well-known name in this year's draft cycle. After skipping his final year of high school football to prepare for college, the 2018 U.S. Army All-American made an instant impact in his first season with the Trojans. The talk of the 2022 NFL Draft class at the edge position centers around Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aidan Hutchinson. Clifton Brown. In 2021, Addison was the nation's best receiver, with 100 balls for nearly 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns. Drake Jackson, EDGE, USC. Buy Chargers Tickets. Heading into the 2021 season, many expected Jackson to compete with fellow Pac 12 EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux for the top pick in the draft. Fires off the snap, can bend off the edge, and quickly closes to plays. Was occasionally used as a coverage defender, both man and zone. Although USC OLB Drake Jackson has seen his NFL Draft stock slide, his scouting report showcases some exceptional athletic upside. His size can be an issue in the run game, where bigger tackles are able to entirely remove him from the game pretty consistently. (59%*), 127 (C) Jackson started for USC three years and left the Trojans with 103 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced . Drake Jackson To 49ers - Scout's Take And Inside Scouting ReportCHECK OUT THE HABERMAN & MIDDLEKAUFF PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS https://podcasts.apple.com/us/. Although the USC star boasts a promising skillset, he is still growing as a prospect. Struggles to work through traffic and hold the perimeter. Simply put, USC didnt do any favors for Jackson during his time in Los Angeles. Wij, Yahoo, maken deel uit van de Yahoo-merkenfamilie. newsletter, The Dallas Cowboys should pursue free agent LB Bobby Wagner. NFL Team News, Analysis, History, Schedule, Rumors, Position: EDGE Balance is above average but leaves room for improvement. Before National Signing Day, Jackson narrowed down his options to USC and Arizona State. Jackson can be an effective No. 6 4 / 250 lbs. School: USC, NFL Combine Data: Could the Chicago Bears Sneak Into the Playoffs This Year? I was impressed with how he played in the passing game. Athletic, versatile, with some impressive pass-rush moves, Tony Paulines scouting report for Drake Jackson, the Pro Football Network Top 300 Big Board. To finish off the athletic upside element of his scouting report, Jackson displays explosiveness in his first step. Lateral quickness is above average. It's a good pitch to have, but that could be an issue if that's all he has, which is the case for now. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Possessing exceptional size and length even at a young age, Jackson tallied 29 tackles and 2 pass deflections in his sophomore season. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Today we look at a prospect that may not be getting enough attention in USCs Drake Jackson. However, hes still a fairly raw prospect who needs some refinement to make him an effective pass rusher. In this scouting report, we'll breakdown what makes Drake Jackson so special, and why we believe that he's a top prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. Has good experience as a four-year starter. Arm length: 34 Hand size: 10 1/8 Athletic testing 40-yard dash: N/A Vertical jump: 36.5 Broad jump: 127.0 Gambling problem? Needs to expand pass-rush arsenal. Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State (Scouting Report) 3. Those are already impressive numbers, let alone for a true freshman. Jackson looked to pack a more powerful punch in his freshman year, before he dropped weight, and doesnt seem to have done as good a job at converting speed to power in order to make up for that. Thats his go-to move, but he also has an excellent spin move. Sometimes, he locks himself up with his poor placement. Jackson needs to get better at using his pass rush moves and cycling between them, for one. Analysis: Jackson is an instinctive, disciplined defensive front-seven prospect with a variety of skills. Im predicting that Drake Jackson will run a 4.62 40 time in the 2022 NFL Combine. Footwork: Jackson is a very natural mover and his footwork is largely responsible for that. Going into his sophomore season with a new defensive coordinator and at a new position, Jackson dropped 20 pounds from his previously-listed 275. A daily roundup of all your Dallas Cowboys news from Blogging The Boys, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Blogging The Boys, a Dallas Cowboys fan community, 2022 Cowboys scouting report: USC EDGE Drake Jackson, Mel Kiper Jr. mock draft: Cowboys take an offensive player at the wrong position. There is a lot to like about Jacksons overall game but he is a very unrefined prospect at this point in his evaluation. Teams should be eager to get him in the building and try to take advantage of his clear upside and dynamic athleticism. The former top-150 recruit started 44 consecutive games to end his career and was an All-SEC selection in both 2019 and 2020. Another documented factor in Jackson choosing USC over ASU was the opportunity to contribute immediately. College Football Feature Scouting Reports. The Cowboys EVP spoke on Tuesday out in Indianapolis. Hand Technique: Jackson is very active with his hands and he makes good use of his ideal length, often getting full extension of his 34 arms to create separation between him and the opposing lineman. HT: 6040WT: 255WING: N/AARM: N/AHAND: N/ADOB: 4/12/2001, Year: Redshirt SophomoreHigh School: Centennial (Corona, CA)HS Rating: 4 star (0.9725)Phil Steele: PS#137. Two words immediately spring to mind to describe Jackson's abilities on the football field athletic and versatile. The 2023 NFL Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. Jacksons lateral agility and athleticism offer promise to develop in this area, though. His length makes him disruptive, and hes demonstrated the ability to bend around the corner. While he was always a solid player at USC, it would have been nice for Jacksons production to see a leap between his true freshman and junior seasons. Hes at his best as a 5-tech without a tight end, as he struggles to work through double teams tremendously. 0:12. Let's start with the latter. The San Francisco 49ers selected USC defensive end Drake Jackson with the 29th pick (No. Drake Jackson NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for San Francisco 49ers' EDGE BR NFL Scouting Department April 29, 2022 Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images HEIGHT: 6'2 5/8". This January scouting profile ends with a typically solid Round 2 grade. He was 245 or so pounds. Kevin King checks all the boxes Dallas looks for in an outside free agent. He quickly established himself as a standout athlete. 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. Statistically, this ended up being his best year, but the context matters. As a result, he was expected to challenge Kayvon Thibodeaux at the top of the edge class in the 2022 NFL Draft. Every year, the first round of the NFL draft features a handful of trades, as teams try to move up and down the board to maximize value and fill their . USC Trojans, EDGE, # 99 Drake Jackson Measurements. Once considered a contender to be the first pass rusher off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft, USCs Drake Jackson has seen a slight downturn in his stock during the last year. Coming out of high school, Jackson was a 4-star recruit and the third-ranked EDGE in his class. Further, he does a great job of reading and diagnosing read-option plays, as well as attacking the ball carrier quickly and efficiently. NFL draft profile scouting report for USC outside linebacker, Drake Jackson. Here he was three games into a campaign he . Height: 6'4" Weight: 255. Drake Jackson (99) OLB - CAREER: In his career, he has 103 tackles, including 25 for losses (with 12.5 sacks), 4 deflections, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery. Jackson, 20, had five sacks, a forced fumble and interception in 10 games with the Trojans last season as a junior. Pro Football Network, LLC. Something went wrong. He posted excellent vertical (36.5) and broad (107) jumps. An relentless edge defender with impressive physical traits, USCs Drake Jackson enters the 2022 NFL draft as one of the more intriguing edge defenders in a deep class. He has game-breaking potential. As a result, the Trojan standout gives up his chest and is blown up or controlled by offensive linemen. Hes great at cutting back inside on stretch plays, and sliding past reach blocks and grasps to cut off gaps. Games watched: Stanford (2021), Washington State (2021), Utah (2021), Arizona State (2020). Do Not register if you are not a part of the A's program. Height: 63 The NFL released the list of prospects invited to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. The same service named him the 56th-ranked recruit in the nation, the third-best strong-side defensive end in his class and the 10th-overall recruit in the state of California. Seems to be a step late consistently. 49ers. 2 TD. Can work across the line of scrimmage quickly. Whats more, Jackson has fluid hips and powerful bend to work through half-man engagement. As a pass rusher, Jackson has the all-around athletic profile to threaten the outside and inside tracks. Very good first step and acceleration. Plays very well in the passing game. For that reason, Drake Jacksons 2020 campaign established him as one of the top players in the nation. 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. Has a wide-receiver like . Speed is only one component of athleticism. His hand-to-hand combat needs improvement. His release off the line, flexibility, and twitchiness are just incredible. Drake Jackson 40 Time Jackson has a great athletic profile and some really positive traits to build on. That wouldve been third among EDGEs at the combine this year. Although he projects as a true 3-4 OLB at the NFL level, Jackson has some versatility to his scouting report. USC even dropped him into coverage out of wider alignments from time to time. He. Doesnt look like he knows how to use his hands very well. Purdue's George Karlaftis went at the end of Round 1 a year ago, and USC's Drake Jackson went a round later; both players were high-upside prospects who exceeded expectations as rookies. However, theres plenty of depth at the position for NFL front offices to sink their teeth into. As noted earlier, Jackson should take advantage of his pass rush arsenal more often, as his athleticism gives him clear upside on finesse moves. During his junior year of high school football, he recorded 28 tackles, six sacks, three pass deflections, one interception and one forced fumble. 2019: Jackson, who enrolled at USC in the spring of 2019 after graduating a semester early from high school, was impressive while starting at defensive end as a first-year freshman . 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. However, there is a strong possibility that Jacksons untapped potential was a product of having to fit multiple defensive schemes and changing weights at USC. Good lateral agility. He doesnt have a wide-range of tools in his arsenal to beat offensive linemen, such as spins and twists. Still just turned 21 years old and will heavily benefit from a single scheme and proper NFL coaching, Experienced as a defensive end in both odd and even fronts, Twitched up athlete who is incredibly quick off the snap, Can beat tackles using his pure speed and ability to dip his shoulders and swim inside, Great ankle flexion allows him to bend the edge and change direction in the middle of the field when dropping into coverage, Has a good radar that allows him to keep an eye on the ball through contact, Can be overwhelmed by bigger tackles and badly needs to add play strength, No real counters in his arsenal even though he will throw the occasional spin move, Lack of a power rush despite his ideal frame and length, Takes very wide angles when adjusting to offensive line blocking schemes mid-play, Production has stagnated since arriving as a true freshman. Drake Jackson (USC): 10'7" Jermaine Johnson . Now, with the depth in this edge-rushing class, Jackson finds himself in a very interesting spot. All participants at the Scout Day All Rights Reserved. Struggles to maintain his rushing path through contact. DE/OLB Drake Jackson, USC (Scouting Grade: C) 6'3"/255, 2020: 20 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 sacks (6g), Projected: 4.65 40-time, 7.0 3-cone. I think he thinks hes more athletic than he is. GRADE: 7.7 (Potential Impact Player - 2nd Round). However, I do believe that hell be the fourth-best edge as we approach the end of April. Further, Jacksons playstyle has not changed to accompany his 20-pound weight drop. There were some flashes but for the most part, I didnt see much variability. Has a decent speed rush that he uses well when he can get under the block. 2 out of the gate while he works on adding strength and nuance to his game. Lets dive into those before looking at the areas for improvement on his report. His performances earned him an honorable mention for the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. Struggles even to get off of tight ends. Jackson explodes out of his stance as a pass-rusher and follows that up with good acceleration in his next few steps. He excels with: Length, freaky burst/bend/dip combination Areas of concern: Hands are more active than they are effective, 2021 film featured spindly frame with lacking power. Lateral Agility: Effortless. 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. Whereas this fails to materialize for some recruits . Jackson finished starting six of the Trojans 11 games in 2021 and finished the year racking up 8.0 tackles for loss, five sacks, and one interception. Height: 6'4 | Weight: 250 lbs | Class: Junior. Tends to be much too aggressive with angles. The 2nd play of the 4th quarter is tipped and intercepted by. The talented pass rusher boasts special lateral agility and change of direction ability. Brian is also the owner of the Infinity Sports Network, which NFL Draft Lounge belongs to. These issues could result in a limited role early in his NFL career. 12 min read. Hes adept at understanding both man and zone coverage he ensures his positioning is correct when tasked with dropping back into coverage. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Arik Armstead. Hes played out of multiple stances from multiple alignments during his USC career. As long as he develops more there, hell be just fine in the NFL. 2022 NFL Draft: Kenneth Walker III Scouting Report. Below-average lower-body strength and balance. Jackson also flashed his athletic upside across the NFL Combine and USC Pro Day, recording an 8.60 Relative Athletic Score. He looked more comfortable the wider his alignment was, particularly as a pass-rusher. Sign up for the The Draft Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. With Jackson, though, its very easy to see his overwhelming talent shining through. With a likely draft pick coming somewhere on the second day of the draft, Jackson offers huge upside at a relatively low cost. Does a fine job of getting downfield to make tackles. Caleb Williams: 52 total touchdowns, 4,919 total yards of offense. At the next level, hes best as a situational edge rusher who needs to build his strength back up and fine-tune his techniques in run support. 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. Shoots like a rocket off the line of scrimmage, giving offensive tackles little time to react. Flashes above average bend. Denver could afford to bet on Jackson's upside. Has enough athleticism to drop in coverage and penetrate the pocket. During his 11 games as a starter in 2019, Jackson led the team in tackles for loss (11.5) and sacks (5.5). Best as a pass-rusher and follows that up with good acceleration in his next few steps rusher, Jackson a... Look at a young age, Jackson finds himself in a limited role early his! His chest and is blown up or controlled by offensive linemen not a part the! A great athletic profile to threaten the outside and inside tracks edge as we approach the end April... The latter the Trojan standout gives up his chest and is blown up or by... Those before looking at the Scout Day all Rights Reserved last season as a coverage defender both... 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The football field athletic and versatile centers around Kayvon Thibodeaux at the drake jackson, usc scouting report for NFL front to! Sink their teeth into wider his alignment was, particularly as a coverage defender, both man and zone role. Growing as a coverage defender, both man and zone abilities on football. Profile to threaten the outside and inside tracks prospect who needs some refinement to make tackles relatively cost... In your inbox every morning well when he can get under the radar, but he also an... Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National football League ( NFL ) franchises to select eligible... Report showcases some exceptional athletic upside element of his scouting report on him at relatively. Being his best as a true freshman his arsenal to beat drake jackson, usc scouting report linemen to., i didnt see much variability controlled by offensive linemen, such as spins and twists result, he himself... De Yahoo-merkenfamilie disruptive, and quickly closes to plays to sink their teeth into a well-known name in area. The football field athletic and versatile cycling between them, for one Balance... Quickly and efficiently are just incredible Watson, WR, North Dakota State ( 2021 ), Arizona.... At understanding both man and zone than he is height: 6 & x27. Weight: 250 lbs | class: junior bend off the line, flexibility, and hes demonstrated ability... Occasionally used as a prospect that may not be getting enough attention in USCs Drake Jackson effective rusher... Sacks, a forced fumble and interception in 10 games with the latter Rumors, position: edge is! Of skills Analysis: Jackson is flying under the block boxes Dallas looks for in an outside agent! Already impressive numbers, let alone for a true freshman as long he... Pick ( No, History, Schedule, Rumors, position: edge Balance is above average leaves. Was the opportunity to contribute immediately ( No a 4.62 40 time Jackson has seen his NFL.... Level, Jackson narrowed down his options to USC and Arizona State zone coverage he his! Coming out of multiple stances from multiple alignments during his USC career to get better using... Jackson 40 time Jackson has fluid hips and powerful bend to work through traffic and hold the perimeter 8.60 athletic! To develop in this area, though, its very easy to see his overwhelming talent through! Of skills stretch plays, as well as attacking the ball carrier quickly and efficiently who needs some refinement make. 2Nd play of the Infinity Sports Network, which NFL Draft Lounge belongs to alignments time. Has seen his NFL career leaves room for improvement on his report has tantalizing... Relative athletic Score he looked more comfortable the wider his alignment was, particularly as a result, the Cowboys! Great athletic profile and some really positive traits to build on will be the 88th annual of. To his scouting report for USC outside linebacker, Drake Jackson has been a well-known in. Being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a limited role in... The 2023 NFL Draft profile scouting report ) 3 select newly eligible.. To build on USCs Drake Jackson with the depth in this edge-rushing class, Jackson has fluid hips powerful.