Only a few days removed from the end of the 2021 NFL draft, everyone’s been talking about the Los Angeles Rams’ draft class – and rightfully so. There’s a lot to digest, especially after they came away with zero offensive linemen and four skill position players.
But fans shouldn’t be overlooking who the team signed after the draft, specifically a player the Rams clearly prioritized as an undrafted rookie. Iowa offensive tackle Alaric Jackson is the UDFA to watch in Los Angeles this summer, and the Rams aren’t hiding how highly they think of him.
Les Snead said immediately after the draft that the Rams already had a handshake agreement with Jackson to sign with them, which became official a little while later.
“This isn’t official yet, but I know we got a handshake agreement with a kid from Iowa, Alaric Jackson, who’s a very talented kid and because of the Big Ten, didn’t have as good a year, a little bit probably similar to David Edwards types, where he didn’t have as good a year as the year before and he fell out of the draft,” Snead said. “He was a kid that was down at the Senior Bowl, but he’s definitely got to make a team and contribute talent, so we’ll see if we can officialize that and go to work.”
The Rams clearly didn’t want to let Jackson get away, either. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, they gave him a $20,000 signing bonus, which is a fairly large number for an undrafted free agent.
Rams signed offensive tackle Alaric Jackson to priority free agent deal that includes $20,000 signing bonus
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 2, 2021
When discussing the Rams’ offensive line situation and not drafting a single big man up front, Sean McVay mentioned Jackson as being someone who will add competition to the group they already have.
“I think we feel really good about the depth, but there are some spots when you look at offensive linemen, guys that we feel really good about in place, but then being able to add in Alaric Jackson, like Les mentioned, those are the things that we’re looking to try to create the most competitive roster to really solidify our football team in all three phases,” he said.
So who is Jackson? He was a four-year starter at left tackle for the Iowa Hawkeyes, starting all 42 games he played since 2017. He redshirted his freshman year in 2016, but the year after that, he became a cog on the offensive line and immediately earned Freshman All-American honors and was a Big Ten All-Freshman.
In 2018, he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection. The following year, third-team All-Big Ten. And finally, he was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2020, playing arguably his best football as a senior.
He’s not exclusively a left tackle, either. In an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Jackson said he played right tackle and guard at the Senior Bowl, where the Rams were in attendance. He’s open to playing all four positions except for center, doing whatever he can to make it in the NFL.
“I actually went down to the Senior Bowl and played right tackle and guard,” he said. “My whole mindset was to prove that I’m versatile. I didn’t want anybody to pigeonhole me into just one position. I wanted to keep my options open. I’m staying open-minded throughout this process.
“I don’t mind playing either tackle or guard position. I think I can play all four positions. I just don’t see myself as a center. I’m open to whatever. I’m not worried about being that marquee left tackle or whatever. I can play anywhere. I wanna be a versatile guy. If somebody goes down, you can move me to one of those positions.”
There are few teams in the NFL that appreciate and covet offensive line versatility more than the Rams do. That was a big part of Aaron Kromer’s evaluation when he was the Rams’ offensive line coach, and that should continue in L.A. despite him no longer being on the staff.
Jackson has the size and length to play pretty much any position he wants. He’s 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms and a massive wingspan of 82 3/8 inches. He didn’t test all that well at his pro day, but Jackson has the movement skills to hold up at either guard or tackle in the Rams’ zone scheme.
He’s nowhere near a lock to make the 53-man roster, but of the 10 undrafted rookies the Rams signed, he certainly has the best chance. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had him 221st on his big board with a sixth-round grade. Luke Easterling of Draft Wire ranked him 287th with a seventh-round grade. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com gave him a sixth-round grade, too.
Jackson should’ve been drafted. It’s a surprise that he wasn’t. His two one-game suspensions in 2017 and 2018 for violating team rules shouldn’t have been enough to push him out of the draft, nor should have his poor pro day testing.
Don’t be surprised if he makes the Rams or at the very least spends a year learning on the practice squad before competing for a spot in 2022.
