- Drake Jackson is a 6-3, 269-pound Weak-Side Defensive End from Corona, CA. NFL Team News, Analysis, History, Schedule, Rumors, Position: EDGE Whats more, Jackson does not recognize his ability to threaten the inside and outside tracks on a play-to-play basis. Feb 28, 2023 at 01:36 PM. 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Drake Jackson. In his freshman year, he made the 2019 The Athletic Midseason Freshman All-American team, 2019 247Sports Freshman All-American first team, Pro Football Focus Freshman All-American second team, All-Pac-12 second team, AP All-Pac-12 second team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 second team. Drake Jackson 2022 NFL Draft Profile Jackson lined up as both a defensive end and outside linebacker in the Trojan's defense. https://draftwire.usatoday.com/lists/drake-jackson-scouting-report-2022-nfl-draft-usc-trojans-football/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. His speed to get into the backfield and chase down the opposing quarterback is one of the best elements of his game. He's a player who once received top-10 hype; however, his stock declined mightily over the season while others rose. The San Francisco 49ers went linebacker with their first pick this year, selecting Drake Jackson with the 61st pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.He played three seasons with the USC Trojans and played plenty of snaps at both defensive end and outside linebacker. Although he projects as a true 3-4 OLB at the NFL level, Jackson has some versatility to his scouting report. Ben Liebenberg/AP Photos. He took a step back during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season but returned to form in 2021. 6 4 / 250 lbs. In six starts as a sophomore, he tallied 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 interception. Balance is above average but leaves room for improvement. Embed from Getty Images NAME: Drake Jackson. Even when he plays at a heavier weight, Jackson has that versatility, and he showed up to USC's Pro Day at 273 pounds and had a good workout. Jackson will not be an early contributor in the NFL but has a lot of pass-rushing upsides and could be a mid-round steal if a team is able to unlock the potential he flashed as a true freshman at USC. However, hes still a fairly raw prospect who needs some refinement to make him an effective pass rusher. Has a decent speed rush that he uses well when he can get under the block. 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. Something went wrong. Hes also been impactful in all three phases of defense pass rush, run, and coverage. A four-star high school prospect, Jackson ranked as the 10th-best player in California. With excellent change-of-direction ability, he dances around the line of scrimmage and drops back into coverage fluidly when tasked with doing so. Doesnt get a lot of drive out of his lower body. During a senior year where he was named All-Big VIII League Co-MVP after racking up another 27 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 6 pass deflections, Jackson visited USC, Arizona State, Oregon, Washington, and Illinois. Covers a good amount of area on the field, shows ability in pursuit, and makes a lot of plays in space. 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. All participants at the Scout Day He has excellent height and solid weight for the linebacker position, but would be considered underweight as a defensive end. Doesnt have a plan when he goes into a rep. Placement is not great. Even on the morning of the announcement, he still hadnt made up his mind. Heading into the 2021 season, many expected Jackson to compete with fellow Pac 12 EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux for the top pick in the draft. Doesnt look like he knows how to use his hands very well. Jackson needs to get better at using his pass rush moves and cycling between them, for one. He currently struggles to read offensive tackles and can, consequently, employ ill-advised pass-rush moves. Pass Rush Moves: The best way to describe Jacksons pass rush moves is inconsistent. @The99Athlete. Jackson is an explosive player off the line of scrimmage that is able to beat his opponents out of their stance quite regularly. With a likely draft pick coming somewhere on the second day of the draft, Jackson offers huge upside at a relatively low cost. Despite the challenges presented by the 2020 college football season, Jackson was still one of the premier pass rushers in the sport. 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. His hand usage improved in 2021 but needs to be developed more. Weight: 254 lbs Now, with the depth in this edge-rushing class, Jackson finds himself in a very interesting spot. 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. With ties to Mike McCarthy, free agent CB Kevin King could be an option for the Cowboys. Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) February. He will find more value in a multiple-front defense because of his versatility, but hes a solid season away from making an impact on the field. He possesses good speed with size (6-foot-4, 250 pounds). 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. Great length. 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. Type above and press Enter to search. There are plenty of instances where Jackson gets to the quarterback solely because he gets off the line quicker than anyone else. Unfortunately for the USC OLB, the 2021 college football season didnt live up to expectations for him or the Trojans. Height: 64 | Weight: 250 lbs | Class: Junior, Games Watched: UCLA (2020), Arizona State (2020), Stanford (2021), Colorado (2021), Arizona (2021), Washington State (2021). 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. After making an impact in his sophomore year, the athletic defender broke out in his junior season. He doesnt have a wide-range of tools in his arsenal to beat offensive linemen, such as spins and twists. Daxton Hill, SAF, Michigan (Scouting Report) 4. Sign up for the Biggest NFL Draft Stories Before the Combine Starts. As long as he develops more there, hell be just fine in the NFL. Jackson finished his freshman year with 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, both figures leading the team. SCHOOL: USC. His release off the line, flexibility, and twitchiness are just incredible. Stringing counter moves together will be vital for his development. Here's a scouting report and final grade for 2022 NFL Draft prospect Drake Jackson. Inconsistent getting off blocks from smaller offensive players gets moved or out-positioned and forced to chase down plays from behind. 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. Finally, after delaying the announcement, he committed to USC, stating, I know Im going to be treated good there and know theyre going to make me the right man.. Drake Maye: 45 total touchdowns, 5,019 yards of offense. Hes flashed that at times and has the traits to do so. - Named The Press-Enterprise's Defensive Player of the Year and 2018 All-Big VIII League Co-MVP. 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. He can get low and he flashed good flexibility, but his poor lower-body strength often allowed him to be knocked off his path. The crazy thing about going to the Super Bowl is how short your offseason is. Good lateral agility. Jackson is primarily limited by his inconsistency. Needs to work on diagnosing runs and reaction time. 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. Will start to give up on a play if the ball doesnt end up near him initially. Although he boasts a flexible frame, Jackson lacks consistent bend up the high side. Consistently wraps up and finishes tackles in the backfield. Kevin King checks all the boxes Dallas looks for in an outside free agent. Reacts well to draw plays and misdirection, sniffs out screens to his side of the field. Currently, hes listed as the third best edge rusher on our 2022 NFL Draft Top 200 Big Board. Coming out of high school, Jackson was a 4-star recruit and the third-ranked EDGE in his class. As a result, the Trojan standout gives up his chest and is blown up or controlled by offensive linemen. Jackson is a project. Oops. Quick in all aspects of his game, easily changes direction, and chases the action hard. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. 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. It is also important to remember he is still just 21 years old. After his stellar high school career, Jackson was listed as a four-star recruit by 247Sports Composite Rankings. While straight-line speed doesnt always translate to play speed, Jackson has showcased excellent play speed throughout his USC career. Below-average play strength against the run. 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. Leading the team with 8 tackles for loss, including 5 sacks, Jackson earned second-team All-Pac-12 recognition. 0:12. Hes at his best as a 5-tech without a tight end, as he struggles to work through double teams tremendously. His hand usage is aggressive, which allows him to drive back offensive linemen or win on a regular-basis on the outside. As said above, needs more consistency against the run. Decent first step, above average for the NFL. The 2023 NFL Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. His motor and relentless playing style is evident as his feet continue churning through contact, and hes constantly playing to the whistle. Drake Jackson should get a green light during the medical process at the NFL Combine, although some front offices might pay special attention to the left foot. Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Limits his ability as a pass rusher. Good athlete, not great. This impacted his play, but Jackson finished on a strong note. POSITION: Defensive End. 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. Flashes closing speed and agility to reach passers from the blind side or up the middle before they can escape. Has enough athleticism to drop in coverage and penetrate the pocket. BaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer. Best Scheme Fit: 3-4 (can also work in a 4-3). . Heading into the 2021 college football season, Jackson was considered by many to be one of the top prospects in this class.

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