Texas A&M Aggies DT McKinnley Jackson Selected By Cincinnati Bengals In Third Round of NFL Draft

Texas A&M Aggies defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson was drafted at No. 97 overall in the third round of Friday's NFL Draft.

Oct 23, 2021; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

McKinnley Jackson has a new home in the NFL.

On Friday night, Jackson was a surprise third-round pick, going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 97th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Oct 23, 2021; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Jackson is the second Aggie to be drafted this year, after linebacker the Green Bay Packers took Edgerrin Cooper with the 45th overall pick in the second round.

Jackson joins a Bengals team that went 9-8 last season and missed the playoffs, mostly due to a season-ending injury to quarterback Joe Burrow. But Burrow will be healthy this upcoming season and Jackson could be able to help shore up the defense for a playoff run in 2024.

The Aggies have a number of players who are eligible for selection during this week's draft, with linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson and wideout Ainias Smith most likely to come off the board at some point.

One of the most successful drafts in Aggies history came in 2014 when offensive lineman Jake Matthews, wideout Mike Evans and quarterback Johnny Manziel all were selected in the first round. Then in 2017, former Aggies defensive end Myles Garrett became the program's only first overall selection.

Since 2018, A&M has had just one first-round pick in offensive lineman Kenyon Green in 2022 to the Houston Texans at No. 15 overall. But from 2011 through 2017, the Aggies had nine players taken in the first round and two in the second.