2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Drake Jackson

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Drake Jackson, 6-4/255 Defensive End USC

Drake Jackson Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Quality skill set

Enough size, speed, athleticism, strength to function

Quick off the edge

Burst off ball

Dangerous darting to the inside

Quality rip move

Versatile to play end or outside linebacker

Can drop into coverage

Fits a 4-3 or 3-4 defense

Can dip underneath tackles

Athletic

Agile; not stiff

Weaknesses:

Not overwhelmingly fast

Not overwhelmingly powerful

Could stand to get quick off the ball

Needs to improve pass-rushing moves

Summary: At a program like USC, it can be hard to see the field instantly, but Jackson was able to do that during his freshman season. He was one of the top freshman defenders in the nation in 2019, putting up 46 tackles, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble and three passes defended. In the shortened 2020 season, Jackson recorded 20 tackles, two sacks and an interception. Jackson then totaled 37 tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble and an interception in 2021. He displayed pass-rushing talent off the edge and played hard. USC hurt his production by moving him around, playing him somewhat at outside linebacker, dropping him into coverage, and reducing his pass-rushing opportunities.

Jackson has an NFL starting skill set with size, quickness and athleticism. He shows quality instincts and vision on the edge to adjust to the offense and the upside to get better.



As a pass rusher, Jackson has talent and upside to improve as he gains experience. He possesses good size to take on tackles with an impressive burst to close on the quarterback. Jackson uses his quickness to do a nice job of darting to the inside, and he shows a quality rip move to work the inside shoulder of offensive tackles. Jackson is not a pure speed demon off the edge, and he needs to improve his get-off for the pros. He is also not the first defender off the ball, so improving there could help him to get upfield and be a more effective rusher in the NFL. Along with improving his first-step off the ball, Jackson could continue to use refinement in terms of his pass-rushing moves.

Jackson needs to improve in the ground game for the pros. As a sophomore, there were times when he looked like he was doing the minimum and seemed disinterested. He looked better as a junior, however, playing harder and putting forth more effort. He flashed the ability to be a quality run stuffer, but must get better at stacking his block, shedding the offensive lineman, and flowing to the ball.

Jackson has some versatility on the edge and showed comfort playing in space. USC used him as a defensive end lined up with his hand on the turf and as a standup outside linebacker for dropping in coverage. Jackson moves pretty well in space for a big edge defender, and he shows quality vision to disrupt passing lanes. Jackson also displays nice recognition to adjust to covering check downs in the flat and not allowing the quarterback to have an open outlet receiver. Jackson will be used more as a rusher in the NFL, but he has versatility to play the edge in a 3-4 or 4-3.

Jackson could get consideration in the back half of the first round during the 2022 NFL Draft. If he slips to the second day, he should not fall out of Round 3.



Player Comparison: Whitney Mercilus. Jackson reminds me of Mercilus because he has quickness but lacks overwhelming speed and is not an overly dominant power defender. Mercilus (6-4, 258) and Jackson are almost identical in size with the ability to drop into coverage and play in space. Mercilus was a late first-round pick by the Texans and turned into an excellent pro. Jackson might not end up as good as Mercilus was at his peak, but if Jackson pans out he could be a similar style defender to Mercilus.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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