Tag: McKinnley Jackson

Bengals get four key defenders back in lineup ahead of matchup vs. Ravens

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says Trey Hendrickson, Myles Murphy, B.J. Hill and McKinnley Jackson all will play vs. Ravens

The Bengals are getting healthy at the right time. For Sunday’s AFC North matchup against the Ravens, they’ll have four critical defenders back in the lineup to face Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.

Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor says Trey Hendrickson, Myles Murphy, B.J. Hill, and McKinnley Jackson will all play.

Hendrickson was forced to leave last Sunday’s win over the Panthers with a stinger, but he has been able to practice all week. Head coach Zac Taylor said at a Friday press conference that he will play against Baltimore. Hendrickson has nine tackles and three sacks so far this season.

Murphy has been on the Reserve/Injured list and designated for return since Aug. 27 with a knee injury, while Jackson has been on the list since Aug. 29 with a knee injury.

Jackson is set to make his NFL debut.  The rookie defensive tackle spent the first four weeks of the season on injured reserve.

They’ll need the reinforcements, as Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the Ravens have rushed for 881 yards (6.4 yards-per-carry) in their first four games.

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Bengals rookie changes his jersey number right before Week 1

A Bengals rookie makes a change.

The Cincinnati Bengals had a few interesting bits of jersey number drama after the 2024 rookie class earned their numbers.

By far the biggest was hyped wideout Jermaine Burton getting issued the No. 81 instead of the No. 3 he wore in college. Fans wanted to see him form the “513” Cincinnati area code alongside Ja’Marr Chase (1) and Tee Higgins (5).

Some fans noticed a perceived issue with the jersey number of third-round rookie defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson, too, though.

Jackson started his summer with the Bengals wearing the No. 68. But now on the team’s roster, he’s No. 93.

It feels like a good move for Jackson, as his old number feels like it belongs to offensive linemen, not guys tasked with plugging the run and getting after quarterbacks.

Fans will have to wait and see if the number change helps Jackson be a little luckier, though — he’s starting his rookie year on injured reserve after suffering an injury that forced the team to make roster moves after final cuts.

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Bengals rookie changes his jersey number right before Week 1

A Bengals rookie makes a change.

The Cincinnati Bengals had a few interesting bits of jersey number drama after the 2024 rookie class earned their numbers.

By far the biggest was hyped wideout Jermaine Burton getting issued the No. 81 instead of the No. 3 he wore in college. Fans wanted to see him form the “513” Cincinnati area code alongside Ja’Marr Chase (1) and Tee Higgins (5).

Some fans noticed a perceived issue with the jersey number of third-round rookie defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson, too, though.

Jackson started his summer with the Bengals wearing the No. 68. But now on the team’s roster, he’s No. 93.

It feels like a good move for Jackson, as his old number feels like it belongs to offensive linemen, not guys tasked with plugging the run and getting after quarterbacks.

Fans will have to wait and see if the number change helps Jackson be a little luckier, though — he’s starting his rookie year on injured reserve after suffering an injury that forced the team to make roster moves after final cuts.

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Bengals injury update on key rookie provides good news

A good update on a key Bengals injury as a rookie works his way back.

The Cincinnati Bengals will rely on some key rookies to help the middle of the defense in 2024.

One of those, third-rounder McKinnley Jackson, seems to be well on his way back from an injury, too.

Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison recently wrote the following about Jackson’s around the team: “Rookie third-round pick McKinnley Jackson is no longer using crutches to get around but is still wearing a large brace on his right knee.”

Removing crutches from the equation seems like good news for Jackson, whose injury that saw him carted off a field resulted in roster moves on August 8.

Jackson, alongside second-rounder Kris Jenkins, is a big part of the plan for a Bengals team attempting to compensate for the loss of DJ Reader in free agency.

Both rookies have a shot at playing time on the interior next season in a rotation with B.J. Hill and free-agent signee Sheldon Rankins.

It still remains unclear if Jackson will be ready in time for Week 1. But with the edge suffering a rash of injuries too — the latest is Myles Murphy — the team needs him in the rotation on the front seven, if possible.

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Bengals NFL Draft grades: McKinnley Jackson, IDL, Texas A&M

Bengals NFL Draft grade for selecting Texas A&M defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson in the third round

The Cincinatti Bengals choose to double dip to help out the interior of their defense. After selecting Kris Jenkins earlier in the draft Cincinnati swings right back in the third round and picks up Texas A&M defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson.

With veterans B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins locked in as the teams’ starters moving into the 2024 season, it’s difficult to project Jackson seeing a ton of playing time except as a rotational interior pass rusher. McKinnley and Jenkins will have ample opportunity to develop as potentially the starting duo for the following season should they impress in limited glimpses.

There is clearly plenty of talent that Jackson possesses but it has come and gone in streaks during his career at Texas A&M. If Jackson can pounce on his highs, he could be a steal this late into the third round as a potential primary interior rusher.

Grade: B-

Bengals rookies try Cincinnati chili for the first time

A welcome-to-Cincinnati moment for Bengals rookies.

The Cincinnati Bengals had 10 picks in the 2024 draft, and each of them are in the city for mini camp that started Friday for their first appearance as Bengals.

But they aren’t able to say they are an official Cincinnatian until they go through a very important rite of passage, which a few of the rookies now have.

The Bengals’ official Twitter account shared a video on May 2 of first-round pick Amarius Mims, second-round pick Kris Jenkins and third-round pick McKinnley Jackson trying Cincinnati chili for the first time.

Each of them seemed to like the new food, so they are fitting into Cincinnati well already. They will each have a lot more chances to get more chili during their time with the Bengals, and Jenkins especially seems like he will take advantage of that, since he ate the entire bowl he got for the video.

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Texas A&M DL McKinnley Jackson selected in third round of the 2024 NFL Draft

Texas A&M DL McKinnley Jackson is headed to Cincinnati!

Texas A&M defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson has been selected 97th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After four productive seasons as the Aggie’s starting nose tackle, Jackson with take his talents to the league, bringing vast SEC experience.

Throughout his Aggie career, Jackson was a force to be reckoned with. His record of 91 tackles and 7.5 sacks speaks volumes about his ability to consistently apply pressure inside, freeing up blitzes. His high motor and aggressive style in the middle of the trenches set him apart.

Coming into the draft, Jackson’s lack of notable athleticism in accordance with his RAS (relative athletic score) results likely pushed him down the board, but for those who paid close attention to the energy and tenacity Jackson has played with since he first set foot in College Station, any franchise willing to take a chance on him would be getting one of the hardest working prospects in the draft.

Jackson will join a loaded Bengals defensive tackle while working with one of the elite defensive minds in veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Congratulations, McKinnley!

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Instant analysis of Bengals picking McKinnley Jackson in the third round

Instant analysis after the Bengals make a second pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals used the 97th pick in the 2024 NFL draft — their second selection in the third round — on McKinnley Jackson, a defensive tackle out of Texas A&M.

It’s not hard to see where the Bengals’ minds were at with this one. Jackson is a squatty, space-eating tackle who can play a run-stuffing role, which means he’s effectively a way to ease the loss of DJ Reader.

What’s interesting is that Jackson’s pre-draft evaluations (on the media side of things) were all over the place.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, for example, projected him as a sixth-round pick while writing the following:

Squatty interior defender who felt somewhat miscast as a 0-technique nose over the center. Jackson is explosive off the snap with the ability to get into blockers quickly or to attack their edges as a penetrator. He tends to ride on blocks once they land squarely and needs to develop his hands for better counters as both a run defender and a rusher. Jackson plays with good strength, but he’s more gradual than twitchy in his battles. He might be more consistently effective at a lighter weight and as a rotational nose in a one-gapping even front.

Obviously, the Bengals feel a little differently. As a rookie, Jackson’s probably going to occupy that role previously held by Josh Tupou as a run-stuffing nose, leaving more of the snaps for guys like B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins.

That’s not unusual for a late-third-round pick, though. What projects nicely is Jackson’s long-term upside on the same line as second-round pick Kris Jenkins.

Bengals fans will hear a lot about grades and projections that were all over the place on Jackson. But if he can realize some of the potential in a proper role and become a valuable part of the rotation, it will look quite good in hindsight.

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Bengals select Texas A&M DT McKinnley Jackson in third round, 97th overall

The Bengals have made their second pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals used their second of two third-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft on Texas A&M defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson at No. 97 overall.

Jackson, a 6’1″ and 326-pound run-stopper who can come in and play key roles in the rotation alongside the likes of Sheldon Rankins.

It also makes Jackson the second defensive lineman picked by the Bengals in the draft already as they seek to recover from the departure of DJ Reader.

Earlier in the third round, the Bengals selected Alabama wideout Jermaine Burton after using the first two picks on the offensive and defensive lines.

This was the compensatory pick from the departure of safety Jessie Bates in free agency that the league initially got wrong and had to re-issue.

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Browns host run-stuffing DT on 2024 NFL draft top-30 visit

The Browns host a big boy.

The Cleveland Browns welcomed Texas A&M defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson to Berea on the heels of the 2024 NFL draft.

As the draft approaches, the Browns are given 30 visits to use on draft hopefuls, but colleges in the same area and prospects who lived within 50 miles of the facility do not count against this number. This applied to another defensive tackle the Browns have visited with in Ohio State and Streetsboro native Michael Hall.

Without much pass rush upside, Jackson is known as a plug in the middle of the defensive trenches at a stout 6-foot-1 and 326 pounds. Jackson racked up 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2023 with the Aggies.

The fit with Jackson in Cleveland is a bit of a weird one, especially considering they drafted a defensive tackle with a similar profile in Siaki Ika a year ago. With Maurice Hurst on a one-year deal, getting a slippery pass rusher in the mold of Hall would be more beneficial for the Browns.

With the 2024 NFL draft just three weeks away, we will find out which new players the Browns will add soon. Will Jackson be one of them?