NFL Draft Profile: Jordan Jackson, Defensive Lineman, Air Force Falcons

NFL Draft profile scouting report for Air Force DE Jordan Jackson

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#94
Pos: DE
Ht: 6045
Wt: 294
Hand: 938
Arm: 3368
Wing: 8100
40: NA
Vertical: NA
Broad: NA
3 Cone: NA
Bench: NA
Shuttle: NA
DOB: 1/30/1998
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL
High School: The Bolles School

Jordan Jackson
Air Force Falcons

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One Liner:

A tweener defensive linemen that has active hands and a high motor but struggles countering and relies on hustle plays to create pressure.

Pros:

Jackson has the size you want in a 3-5 tech type of defensive linemen and is built for a one-gapping style of defense. He has a ton of effort plays on tape, fighting for leverage and tracking down run plays from the backside or forcing pressure up the middle making the quarterback uncomfortable. He keeps his hands and feet working at all times, fighting for space to make a play. He has great initial burst off the snap, getting his hands inside on the offensive lineman. He threatens gaps early and often, causing problems for blockers to try and match his speed and power. He uses a variety of initial moves to beat linemen inside and beats them to their spot in gaps. Jackson projects as a late-round, rotational interior defensive lineman that will work from a 3-tech.

Cons:

Jackson is stuck in a tweener type of frame and playstyle. He doesn’t have the size or strength to consistently play as a true interior player and lacks bend and agility to play as an edge rusher. He plays far too upright and can get washed out by down-blocks. He plays on the tips of his toes with a high pad level and lacks ankle flexibility. Jackson struggles to gain leverage and when he gets beat early, he doesn’t have a counter move to beat offensive linemen. His initial burst is great but he gets too deep inside the chest of the offensive linemen and he doesn’t rush with a plan to counter after his first move gets locked up. There’s no natural knee bend to his game, suggesting that the level of athleticism isn’t up to par for the next level. He has handled a lot of double teams but still isn’t quite sure what to do with them. He’s a one-trick pony that relies on his high motor to win plays that get broken down by good coverage or a solid pass rush from the other side of the line.

Summary:

Jackson is a tweener defensive lineman that needs to either gain weight and kick inside full time or work on his overall agility to play more on the edge at 5-tech. He’s likely going to be stuck as a rotational one-gapping 3-tech that will play more on early downs to plug up holes. He has the strength and power to take on double teams and eat up blocks but struggles to get free. The high motor with active hands and good footwork will suggest that a team can take a shot on him late in the draft to try and develop his skillset and add more of a pass-rushing arsenal to his toolbox. He’s currently a practice squad candidate that will need to improve his agility and athleticism to break into a 53-man roster.

Background:

Jackson was a two-star player according to 24/7 out of Jacksonville Florida. He lettered four years in football, one year in wrestling, and one year in weight lifting. He was a two-time All-City selection and earned All-State honorable mention as a senior. He majored in management. Jackson attended the USAFA Prep School for football. He completed survival training, the basic space operations program and a program in remote piloted aircraft in the summer of 2018. He was a main starter for Air Force on the defensive line since 2018. He ranked 8th on the team in tackles (39) and 2nd in sacks (6.0) during the 2021 season. Jackson was on the Senior Bowl watchlist in 2021 and was invited to the Combine in 2022.

Grade:

Round 7

Quotes:

4/10/21 - "Everything happens for a reason, I feel like," Jackson said. "Of course it was kind of tough, going home, not expecting there to be a season, and there ended up being a season." The Mountain West had announced in August 2020 that it was moving the football season to the spring because of the coronavirus. About a month later it reversed that decision and forged ahead with a shortened season. During that interim period, around 40 Air Force football players decided to utilize an offer then-superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria offered to all cadets to utilize the turnback program because of the pandemic. Turnbacks allow cadets to separate for a period of time - in this case, a semester - with the missed time tacked onto the end of their time at the academy. For those, like Jackson, who were initially scheduled to graduate next month, they will instead graduate in December 2021 and be able to play during the 2021 season. - Colorado Springs Gazette