The Buffalo Bills put a cap on its 2020 NFL Draft class by selecting Pitt Panther cornerback Dane Jackson in the seventh round at pick No. 239.
Projected as a nickel corner at the NFL level, Jackson flashes good footwork and stays on the hip of receivers. He has unparalleled competitiveness and feistiness, playing bigger than his size would indicate. This aggressiveness dovetails into his willingness in run support. Sometimes that aggressiveness leads to penalties.
As a senior, Jackson earned second-team All-ACC honors as a 13-game starter. He accumulated 43 tackles, three for loss, one interception and a team-high 12 pass breakups.
Even though Jackson does not jump off the charts in terms of athletic testing, he had a good showing at the Senior Bowl, which likely helped his stock. In fact, don’t sleep on Jackson. While Buffalo’s final draft pick, he was labeled at a fifth-round pick by NFL.com prior to the draft and he fell to the Bills.
Great awareness on the play by Dane Jackson comes up and makes a great tackle shy of the first down for a stop. Solid play! ( @Djack11_ ) pic.twitter.com/4tkmdP6auN
— Robert Cardona (@CARDONAFAM29) November 18, 2019
With the Bills, Jackson has the opportunity to compete for roles on special teams and offers depth in sub-packages. He will have to beat out the likes of Taron Johnson, Siran Neal and safety Jaquan Johnson for a roster position. His a 6-foot, 187-pound frame probably keeps him away from seeing time competing outside as a boundary corner, at least early in his career.
At this point in the draft, you believe coaching can refine Jackson’s technique and vulnerability to penalties. However, the willingness and competitiveness is there, so at the very least you bring in an ultimate competitor and three-year starter to push veterans already on the roster.
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