2. Jonah Jackson, IOL, Ohio State
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 306
40-Yard Dash: 5.23 seconds
Bench Press: 28 reps
Vertical Jump: 26 inches
Broad Jump: 8 feet 2 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.83 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 5.02 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Jonah Jackson was a two-way player in high school, starring for Penncrest High School in Media, Pennsylvania. He played both offensive line and defensive line, and entertained offers from Monmouth, Massachusetts and Albany. He ultimately enrolled at Rutgers, and started inside at both center and right guard back in 2017. In 2018 Jackson was the team’s starting right guard for the entire campaign. He transferred to Ohio State as a graduate, and started each contest for the Buckeyes last season at left guard.
Stat to Know: According to charting information from Pro Football Focus, Jackson has allowed just one sack – and zero quarterback hits – over the course of his entire collegiate career.
Strengths: Similar to Ruiz, one has to appreciate Jackson’s approach to the position. He has great length for the position, and he uses that to his advantage in both the running game and in pass protection. He is often the first to initiate contact, forcing his defender to counter and adjust their approach, and it gives Jackson the upper hand on many snaps. He loves to get into defensive linemen and not let go, driving them back and finishing the play.
Jackson works combination blocks very well, with good feel for when to come off the first block and work to the second level.
With his penchant for striking the first blow, Jackson has developed an ability to reset and adjust to defensive lineman when they employ counter moves on him. An example of this in action comes from his game against Northwestern:
Jackson gets his hands into the defensive tackle first, forcing the DT to adjust his pass-rushing plan. The DT then tries to swim and rip Jackson by working to the outside, but the guard’s hands are so quick that he immediately gets back into the DT’s chest, driving him away from Justin Fields in the pocket.
Jackson displays ideal lateral movement skills in pass protection situations, using his feet well to mirror the nearest threat and then dropping the anchor after contact, setting up a stone wall for the defender to fight through. When uncovered he scans for threats well, and can handle stunts and twists at a sufficient level. Jackson will also use a quick set at times, and even when he does he displays the quickness to recover if the plan of attack changes from the defensive tackle:
Here, Jackson short-sets to the outside, but the defensive tackle tries to knife inside of him. On this play you see the guard’s lateral quickness, as he can shuffle his feet quickly enough to cut off the defender’s path and prevent a free rush at the QB.
Weaknesses: Similar to Ruiz, there are not too many holes in Jackson’s game. He might already be close to his ceiling, given his age. He is not the strongest member of this class, and wins more with his technique than he does by overwhelming his opponent with power. But if you are looking for a solid plug and play guy with experience at both guard spots in multiple systems, Jackson is your man.
Conclusion: The Ohio State product is as solid as it gets in the interior offensive line. Ruiz has a higher ceiling, given his relative age and ability to play both guard and center, but what Jackson brings to the table is a Day One starter at either guard spot with refined technique, a finisher’s mentality and the mental approach to keep defenders guessing when he is tasked with pass protection.
Comparison: Jackson’s ceiling could mirror what we are seeing right now from Brandon Brooks, who is becoming one of the best guards in the league. Jackson’s experience, technique and mental approach have him on that kind of path.