7. Austin Jackson, USC
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 322
40-Yard Dash: 5.07 seconds
Bench Press: 27 reps
Vertical Jump: 31 inches
Broad Jump: 115 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.95 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Jackson was on a fast track to the NFL through his time at USC until a much more important decision presented itself — the opportunity to donate bone marrow to his younger sister in the summer of 2019.
“My sister has a rare blood disorder which causes your body not to produce red blood cells,” Jackson said at the combine. “She’s had it since she was born. The procedure I did, the bone marrow transplant, allows her body to accept my blood cells. Thank god we were a perfect match through blood testing. That allowed her to fully restart her system and her body is now producing red blood cells.
“It was a long process. I had to take the whole offseason to go home and be with her and train on my own. I couldn’t afford to get sick. Otherwise the procedure would have been prolonged. I battled back through fall camp and through the season to gain my strength back.”
Stat to Know: Jackson struggled a bit last season (for understandable reasons) by giving up four sacks as opposed to two in 2018, but he also posted lower quarterback hits allowed (from three to one) and quarterback hurries allowed (from 12 to nine).
Strengths: Has an ideal athletic frame and good raw movement skills. Keeps his head on a swivel to deal with stunts and counters. When he smooths out his kickstep, shows the embryonic traits you want in an arc protector. Good second-level speed and placement against targets. Has the running ability to be an asset on screens, traps, and pulls.
Weaknesses: Really choppy footwork in pass pro — tends to mince when he should glide. Feet in general are a problem; Jackson struggles to set landmarks with his base and loses power and placement battles as a result. Slaps and swats defenders when he should be looking to get his hands on them and dominate. Works too high off the snap and can easily get bent back as a result. Too susceptible to rip and swim moves.
Conclusion: While it’s tempting to give Jackson a pass on certain things (such as a level of athletic uncertainty) given his off-field medical circumstances in 2019, the tape shows a player with outstanding raw gifts whose tentativeness in several areas does him no favors. Jackson’s NFL coaches should be excited by the tools, with the understanding that making him a starter at the next level is going to take some work.
NFL Comparison: Mike McGlinchey. The Notre Dame star was taken ninth overall by the 49ers in the 2018 draft because of his athletic gifts and despite a need for refinement and core strength improvement. Jackson is unlikely to find himself a first-round pick, but he presents the same kind of tantalizing and cautionary combination.