Grading the Jordan Jackson Pick

The Saints added an interesting defensive tackle to an already crowded room. What can Jordan Jackson bring to the table for Ryan Nielsen?

John Hendrix | Apr 30, 2022

The Saints used their final draft selection of 2022 to take Air Force defensive tackle Jordan Jackson, which was their third straight defensive player after taking offense with their first two picks.

USATSI_17016142_168388561_lowres — Oct 23, 2021; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Air Force Falcons defensive tackle Jordan Jackson (94) sacks San Diego State Aztecs quarterback Lucas Johnson (7) for a loss during the third quarter at Falcon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Leyba-USA TODAY Sports

Grading the Jordan Jackson Pick

Jackson said that he thought he was getting pranked when getting the phone call from assistant general manager Jeff Ireland. He was not. He was the first player from the armed services to get an invite to the NFL Combine in five years, however, a hamstring injury forced him to miss it and he'd put on his skills at his Pro Day. In 2020, he opted out of the season to rehab a shoulder injury.

He has deferred commitment from the Air Force, so he'll be immediately ready to play for the Saints. He graduated in 2021 with a civil engineering degree. As far as his outlook with New Orleans, the first thing will be that there's going to be some stiff competition to battle. The pickup of Jackson gives the team their ninth interior guy. Of course, some of the players like Kentavius Street can be used on the outside at times, but it's a very crowded room.

Jackson puts a lot of effort on display from the quick eye test, and he uses strength and power to his advantage to eat blocks and space. Defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is going to have to help him develop as a pass-rusher. He's going to have to maximize every rep he gets, and would fit as a rotational guy.

Draft Grade: C-

Read More Saints News

Published Apr 30, 2022

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net