Saturday, May 8, 2021

UDFA OC Drake Jackson

Scouting Reports:


Rankings:

Overall:





PFF Big Board (192. Drake Jackson):  https://www.pff.com/draft/big-board?season=2021

CBS (192. OC Drake Jackson - Draft Scouting Report:  Rating: 73.99.  Best Trait: Technically sound.  Strengths:  Versatility, Ability to beat, double teams.  Weaknesses:  Size, Consistency):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospect-rankings/

ESPN BPA (205. OC Drake Jackson - Pre-Draft Analysis:  Jackson is an effective zone blocker who has the foot speed to seal and scoop defenders. He excels on combo blocks and as a second-level blocker. He played in a run-heavy offense. He has very short arms, but he's quick, he flashes a strong punch and he shows very good awareness in pass protection. -- Steve Muench):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable




Positional:


ESPN OC (7. OC Drake Jackson):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable




Walter Football OC (10 OC Drake Jackson - 4/24/21: Jackson played well for Kentucky in 2020. His run blocking is ahead of his pass protection for the NFL, but he was a reliable quarterback protector for the Wildcats.  8/29/20: Jackson is a tough run blocker at the point of attack. He is strong and plays with solid technique. Jackson broke into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman and has locked down the center position for the Wildcats. He is a good college player who would be ranked higher if he had more size for the next level.):  https://walterfootball.com/draft2021C.php


NBC Sports Edge Final Position Rankings (24. OL Drake Jackson):  https://www.nbcsports.com/edge/article/rankings/thors-2021-nfl-draft-position-rankings



Articles:

Ranking the 10 best UDFA signings of the 2021 NFL Draft (10. C DRAKE JACKSON, DETROIT LIONS:  The Lions already have center Frank Ragnow to lead their offensive line, but signing a lineman with as much college success as Drake Jackson is an excellent move regardless of roster situation.  Jackson was the crucial part of a dominant Kentucky offensive line. Since 2018, Jackson has been on the field for exactly 1,000 pass-blocking snaps and has surrendered just one sack. The Kentucky product is also an elite run-blocker, having earned the fourth-highest run-blocking grade among centers in 2020 (85.4).  The lone knock on Jackson is his thin frame, but that did not hinder him against SEC defenses. Not many undrafted free agents are as close to pro-ready as Jackson is.) (5-3-21):  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-ranking-the-10-best-udfa-signings-of-the-2021-nfl-draft

Three reasons why Drake Jackson went undrafted (5-2-21):  https://kentuckysportsradio.com/football-2/explaining-why-drake-jackson-went-undrafted/

2021 Kentucky football NFL Pro Day measurements, times (DRAKE JACKSON* - Height: 6 feet, 2 inches.  Weight: 293 pounds.  Arm: 31 inches.  Wing span: 77 feet, 2/8 inches.  Hand: 8 2/8 inches.  225-pound bench press: Did not participate.  40-yard dash: Did not participate.  Vertical jump: 31 1/2 inches.  Broad jump: Did not participate.  On his role in Kentucky’s offense: “Coach (Eddie) Gran and Coach (John) Schlarman put a lot of responsibility on the center and the offensive line in general, but it was our job in the middle to make all the calls, to see the defense, to understand as an offense what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, why we’re doing it. All those things prepared me for the next level, where it gets even more complicated.”) (3-31-21):  https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-football/article250341936.html

NFL Draft risers and fallers after the Senior Bowl (Drake Jackson, OC, Kentucky:  After measuring in with really short arms, Jackson showed length wouldn’t be a tremendous issue for him at the next level with his impressive performance all week. Jackson showed an excellent anchor and really solid movement abilities. Jackson did have some trouble with much longer players in 1-on-1s but won’t be put in that situation too often in the league. Expect Jackson to be a starter in the league at some point.) (2-1-21):  https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/nfl-draft-risers-and-fallers-after-the-senior-bowl

Senior Bowl by the numbers: Who is the tallest NFL draft prospect? Shortest? Biggest hands? (Hand Size - Smallest: Houston WR Marquez Stevenson, Michigan CB Ambry Thomas and Kentucky C Drake Jackson (8 1/2 inches):  We did a double take when we saw this number. No, 8 1/2 is not stunningly low for the smaller guys; Hunter Renfrow measured at a stunning 7 7/8 inches when he came out.  But for an offensive lineman — especially a center — it’s a shocker. Jackson has been a fantastic center, and he reportedly shined on Day 1 of Senior Bowl practices, but we can’t recall any legitimate center prospect with hands that small.) (1-27-21):  https://sports.yahoo.com/senior-bowl-by-the-numbers-who-are-the-tallest-nfl-draft-prospect-shortest-biggest-hands-172211776.html

2021 Senior Bowl Practice Report: American Team (Tuesday - Drake Jackson was one of the more underwhelming linemen at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday. He communicates well and has decent leverage, but he’s noticeably lacking physically. His movement was a little choppy, and he struggled to reach full extension against longer defensive linemen. He measured in at 6-foot-2 and under 300 pounds this morning, and his underwhelming size may continue to impede his performance.  Wednesday - Drake Jackson fares better as a run blocker, where his natural leverage serves him better. But more often than not, he underwhelmed again on Wednesday. He’s simply not athletic enough for his undersized frame, and he got pushed around a lot by opposing defensive linemen.  Thursday - Once again, Drake Jackson was thoroughly outplayed in one-on-ones. He performed better in a team setting, which alleviates some doubt regarding his projection. As a supplementary run blocker, he showed more utility. But in one-on-ones, Jackson proved that when he’s on an island, he doesn’t have the traits to win consistently.  Analysis - To his credit, Jackson was well-leveraged and assignment sound in team blocking, displaying the awareness necessary to make his blocks and clear lanes. Having said that, Jackson is visibly limited from a physical standpoint, and he was consistently worked through by defensive linemen in one-on-one drills. Jackson’s stock will drop after his showing in Mobile. Especially after other interior linemen like Meinerz and Jack Anderson displayed snapping ability at the Senior Bowl, Jackson’s premium skill set might not have such a low supply.) (1-26-21):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2021-senior-bowl-practice-report-american-team/

Senior Bowl Practice Review: Day 1 American Trenches (Kentucky center DRAKE JACKSON was one of the most impressive American interior offensive linemen on Tuesday. His strength on the inside was fun to watch. He has a big anchor and the defensive lineman certainly feels his punch. Jackson's quick feet and flexible hips allow him to maintain a low base while in pass protection while also allowing him to be a powerful run blocker. It will be exciting to watch him the rest of the week.) (1-26-21):  https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/senior-bowl-practice-review-day-1-american-trenches

Reactions to the measurements from SEC prospects. (DRAKE JACKSON | Kentucky | C | Height: 6017 | Weight: 290 | Wingspan: 7748 | Arm: 3118 | Hand: 0848 - Kentucky’s center struggles with length consistently on tape so measuring in with sub-32” arms was not a surprise. A loser of the weigh-ins, Jackson will look to make up for it on the field.) (1-26-21):  https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/reactions-to-the-measurements-from-sec-prospects

NFL draft winners and losers: Ohio State's Justin Fields completely changes outlook with one heroic outing (Losers - Kentucky C Drake Jackson  Jackson has become something of a crush prospect for Draft Twitter, and it’s sometimes easy to see why. The highly respected Wildcats center has good technical skills and smarts for the position. He also can surprise defenders with his quickness and ability to reach his landmarks despite lacking great length or burst.  Following a mostly strong final season, Jackson had a so-so performance in the Gator Bowl. It came against a North Carolina State defense that was missing four key performers, including All-America tackle Alim McNeill.  We appreciated Jackson’s two snaps after defenders jumped offsides, earning a free 10 yards of field position. The Wildcats also ran behind their veteran pivot on their first two fourth-and-short run plays in the game.) (1-4-21):  https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-draft-winners-and-losers-ohio-states-justin-fields-completely-changes-outlook-with-one-heroic-outing-211024195.html

College Football 2020: PFF's All-SEC Team (CENTER - First-Team: Drake Jackson, Kentucky:  Jackson was really the only player in the country to challenge Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum as college football’s best all-around center. He and Linderbaum were the only players at the position in the entire FBS to earn an 80.0-plus grade as both a pass- and run-blocker.) (12-22-20):  https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-2020-pffs-all-sec-team

2021 NFL Draft Stock - Week 12 (Up - Drake Jackson, C, Kentucky:  Jackson (6-2, 292) has size limitations for the NFL, but he has been an excellent blocker for Kentucky this season. Jackson has not given up a sack while also being a steady contributor in the ground offense. He is a smart technician who blocks through the whistle. His size might cause him to slide to Day 3 during the 2021 NFL Draft, but he has turned himself into a draft-able prospect this season.) (11-24-20):  https://walterfootball.com/draft2021stock_12.php

Top 10 performances from 2021 NFL Draft prospects in Week 7 (8. C DRAKE JACKSON, KENTUCKY:  It’s very possible that Jackson will be the first pure center to come off the board come next April. He’s been a four-year starter for the Wildcats and seen his grade improve every single year of his career. Through four games this season, Jackson has yet to allow a single pressure. He owned the line of scrimmage this past week against Tennessee.  You saw pure nastiness whether he was single blocking nose tackles or climbing up on linebackers. He was already one of the most agile centers in the country, so adding some more oomph to his run blocking is a welcome sight.) (10-20-20):  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-college-football-top-10-performances-2021-nfl-draft-prospects-week-7

2021 NFL Draft: SEC prospects to know (Center Drake Jackson has started 33 straight games for the Wildcats and has a chance to play at the next level. And offensive tackle Landon Young, who thought about entering the 2020 draft, returns for his senior season with the Wildcats.) (9-23-20):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2021-nfl-draft-sec-prospects-to-know-ahead-of-the-conferences-weekend-openers/

College Football: PFF's 2020 Preseason All-SEC Team (FIRST TEAM: DRAKE JACKSON, KENTUCKY:  Jackson has been a wall in pass protection throughout his collegiate career and came around as a run-blocker last year. He owned the lowest rate of negatively graded blocks among Power 5 centers, progressing into one of the best at the position.) (8-21-20):  https://www.pff.com/news/college-what-would-have-been-2020-pff-college-all-sec-team
Posted by LionsFan at 11:17 AM

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