Scout- Jason Feiner
College: LSU
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 178
40-Time: 4.32
Vertical: 35.5
3-Cone: 6.7
Athleticism: 8.10
Q.A.B./C.O.D. 9.00 One of the most athletic prospects in the 2018 draft class, Jackson has extremely quick feet and agility. He possesses phenomenal twitch and excellent change of direction. His transitions are seamless from his backpedal. Jackson’s closing quickness and footwork give him the ability to drive toward the ball. Jackson has great body control to handle tight coverage situations. Flexibility 7.50 Jackson plays with good knee bend, but he tends to rise when closing on the ball. He attempts to tackle with a high pad level, when he doesn’t go after the shoelaces. Deep Speed 9.00 Jackson has great deep speed, as he posted a 4.32 second 40 time at the combine. The time tied for the fasted timed forty this year, but on film it seems like he plays even faster. He has excellent recovery speed with the ability to close gaps quickly and stay on his assignments hip. He is a quick twitch mover with great athletic ability. Explosion 8.50 He is an explosive player with excellent movement ability and an outstanding closing burst. His first step is powerful; he possesses the ability to close on the ball fast and mirror each movement of the receiver. Coordination 6.50 Jackson is an athletic player, but he is thrown off balance by complex routes, as he possesses little route anticipation. He has a tendency to get lost in coverage and will often be covering grass rather than his assignment.
Coverage Ability: 6.50
Man Press 5.00 He is a small corner with below average size and weight. He doesn’t play with good play strength and he can get bodied out of position by bigger and physical receivers. He fails to use his hands and his smaller frame makes him a liability in press where physicality is key. He has the potential to mirror receivers off the line, but he is better equipped for man off coverage. Man Off 7.00 Jackson Speed, quickness and outstanding twitch gives him the ability to mirror receivers with excellent efficiency. He can close gaps on receivers and utilizes his plus body control to stick with receivers in tight coverage. His athletic ability give him an advantage when playing the ball, but his size limits him. Zone 7.00 He is fast when breaking on the ball, but he doesn’t have great instincts or route recognition. His speed give him the ability to close quickly and make plays on the ball. Hand Fighting 5.00 Jackson is undersized and plays with poor play strength. He gets bullied by bigger receivers and fails to jam wideouts at the line. His athleticism gives him the ability to blanket receivers in tight coverage. Hips/Turn Ability 8.50 He possesses an outstanding quick twitch ability with the talent to mirror receivers in their route. He is extremely fluid and can transition in and out of his backpedal with ease. He uses excellent technique in his speed turn when running with a receiver.
Play Making: 7.00
Closing Quickness 8.00 He has exceptional closing quickness. He utilizes his speed and quickness to close out separation from his breaks and play the ball in the air. He can plant his foot in the drive toward the ball quickly and rarely wastes any motion. Ball skills 7.00 He hasn’t had incredible production when it comes to ball skills, but his athleticism and closing quickness gives him an edge when playing the ball in the air. Route/play Diagnosis 6.00 Jackson is thrown off balance by shifty route runners, and he possesses littell route anticipation. He uses his athleticism and speed to break on throws when the ball is in the air.
Run Support: 6.17
Quickness Upfield 7.00 Jackson’s change of direction ability is evident, but he is hesitant to assist in the running game. Fight Through Blocks 6.00 His less than ideal size makes it hard for him to fight through blocks. Jackson displays less than ideal physical strength and can be bullied by bigger athletes. Tackling 5.50 Jackson needs to work on his technique. He gets run over when his pad level is high and he tends to be an ankle biter diving toward a ball carriers feet.
Competitiveness: 7.17
Toughness 7.00 Jackson is a tough player with limited injury history, but he has a small build and poor play strength. Jackson only weighs 178 pounds which will be looked at as a major weakness. Jackson will have injury concerns throughout his career at the next level. Production 6.50 Jackson has been a quality corner in LSU’s system; however, he has never been extremely productive. He is good man cover corner that can be bullied when in coverage against a physical prospect. His athleticism give him the ability to successfully contribute in a defensive backfield. Consistency/Motor 8.00 Jackson has a high motor utilizing his athleticism on each play. He will run down receivers and ball carriers that break through the third level into the open field.
Intelligence: 6.50
Instincts 6.00 Jackson lacks ideal instincts. He doesn’t have great route recognition and is hesitant in run support. Learn/Retain 6.50 He is a smart player, but he will be limited to the slot due to his size. He will most likely start his career on special teams and be utilized in Nickel. Jackson will contribute as a third corner on an NFL roster. Teamwork 7.00 Jackson is a leader on the LSU’s defense. He works hard and shows good confidence in his play style and athleticism.
STRENGTHS
Jackson is an elite athlete with outstanding quick twitch ability. He has impressive recovery speed and runs faster than his forty time suggests (hard to believe). Jackson has all the makeup speed a prospect needs, as he possesses excellent recovery speed with the talent to close gaps in a hurry and stay on his assignments hip. Jackson displays impressive fluidity with a smooth backpedal and little to no wasted motion in his transitions. He is an electric playmaker with the speed to cover in close quarters and break on the ball quickly. He tends to sit back and wait for the quarterback to release the ball and breaks to play the ball in the air, baiting the QB in the process. He is aggressive in run support often tasking aggressive angles and beating backs to the corner. Jackson’s closing quickness and footwork give him the ability to drive toward the ball. Jackson has great body control to handle tight coverage situations.
WEAKNESSES
He is a small corner with below average size and weight. He doesn’t play with good play strength and he can get bodied out of position by bigger and physical receivers. He fails to use his hands and his smaller frame makes him a liability in press where physicality is key. Although he has the talent to play outside or in, his size and weight will primarily cause him to contribute solely as a nickelback or slot corner. He doesn’t play with good play strength and he can get bodied out of position by bigger and physical receivers. He fails to use his hands and his smaller frame makes him a liability in press where physicality is key. He has the potential to mirror receivers off the line, but he is better equipped for man off coverage. His less than ideal size makes it hard for him to fight through blocks. Jackson displays less than ideal physical strength and can be bullied by bigger athletes. Jackson is a liability in run support. he is not physical and lacks play strength, he gets bodied by bigger players and struggles with proper tackling technique. He tends to tackle high or dive at the shoelaces of the ball carrier.
BIG PICTURE
Jackson lacks ideal size and play strength, but his outstanding athleticism and quick twitch ability will give him the ability to play off man coverage in the slot. Although Jackson lacks the necessary instincts to play in zone, his closing burst will create opportunities to play the ball in the air. Jackson will be limited to the slot and possibly use his athleticism on special teams and as a punt returner. Jackson has the potential to be an impressive cover corner when utilizing his athletic ability, but he will need to develop his play recognition and gain weight and strength at the point of attack. Jackson will contribute early in his career as a nickle back with the potential to become a starter in the slot as the third corner on the roster.