The New York Giants have been heavily involved in scouting offensive tackle prospects ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, holding virtual meetings with at least three of the top four players at the position — Jedrick Wills Jr., Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas.
However, general manager Dave Gettleman hasn’t allowed his draft prep to begin and end there.
Kristian Dyer of Sports Illustrated reports that the Giants have also met with USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson, who has been climbing draft boards in recent days.
Over half the NFL has had a video interview with Jackson, who is popularly mocked and slated into the mid-to-late first round of the draft by most insiders and analysts. The source said that in addition to a video interview with the Jets, Jackson also met with the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and the Carolina Panthers.
Jackson would be a reach for the Giants at No. 4 overall, but if they are able to trade down into the middle of the round, he instantly becomes a priority target.
Here is what our friends at Draft Wire have to say about Jackson:
Jackson has plenty of physical tools and the upside to develop into a quality starting left tackle at the next level. His length and top-notch athleticism for the position gives him palpable potential, but his lack of technique will cause him problems early in his career. He’s a boom-or-bust prospect whose upside could persuade a team to use a fairly early pick on him.
Jackson may not be considered the cream of the offensive tackle crop, but as Draft Wire alludes, he does have tremendous upside and could boom at the NFL level.
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