The Alabama football program is known for dominating the NFL draft, especially the first day or two. However, the Tide have had a few guys slide out of the first three rounds that have gone on to have successful NFL careers.
ESPN visited the best late-round draft pick from every Power 5 school, and for Alabama, they chose Eddie Jackson. Jackson was a fourth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in 2017 and went No. 112 overall. Through six years in the league, Jackson has made two Pro Bowl appearances, a First-team All-Pro in 2018 and has already been listed as one of the 100 Greatest Bears of All-Time.
Jackson has started all 88 of his NFL games and produced 422 tackles, 39 passes defended, 14 interceptions, 10 forced fumbles and three touchdowns. He is a captain and a key component of the Bears’ defense. The Bears extended Jackson beyond his rookie deal with a four-year contract worth $58.4 million, so he has really proved to be a valuable NFL asset.
During his time in Tuscaloosa, Jackson was a key member of the Alabama standard to Nick Saban and his staff as a defensive and special teams player. He was the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game defensive MVP but had multiple injuries throughout his college career. Most notably, he broke his left leg against Texas A&M his senior year which kept him out of NFL draft work and led to his falling draft status as he had been a projected third-round pick.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Eddie Jackson and cheer for his continued success.
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