Austin Jackson 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Austin Jackson 2020 NFL Draft Profile

As the NFL Draft draws near, many teams are looking to upgrade their offensive line. With a strong and deep class, teams will have many prospects to choose from throughout the first few rounds. However, very few of those prospects have a higher upside than USC standout Austin Jackson. Jackson was a two-year starter for USC and was named to the First team All-Pac-12 for his performance during the 2019 college football season.

As a five-star recruit out of high school, Jackson had his fair share of offers to play college football. He received offers from some of the top programs in the nation including Alabama, Oregon, and Auburn. Jackson ultimately decided that USC was going to give him the best opportunity to succeed at the next level and signed with the team on February 1st, 2017. Jackson was not able to crack the starting lineup during his freshman season as he played primarily on special teams. He made tremendous strides going into his sophomore season as he was named the team’s starting left tackle. After the conclusion of his junior season, Jackson officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Has a great frame at 6’6″ and 310 lbs to endure the hardships of an NFL season;

Possesses tremendous athleticism for a player of his size;

His athletic skillset will make him scheme flexible at the next level;

Still has room to add plenty of mass and strength to his game;

His speed helps him get to the second level very efficiently;

With proper technique, he excels against speed rushes;

Makes mistakes, but has the athleticism to recover;

Has a good initial push to drive defenders off the ball and maneuver them around the pocket;

Has experience playing on special teams;

Only 20 years old and has tremendous upside.

Weaknesses

His technique isn’t bad but has many inconsistencies which show up on film;

Has sloppy footwork which he’ll need to improve on quickly;

Needs to improve his hand placement if he wishes to succeed at the next level;

Isn’t weak, but needs to improve his core strength;

Power rushers may give him problems if he doesn’t add more mass;

While he has a high ceiling, he also has a low floor.

Projection: Late first-early second round

Bottom Line on Austin Jackson

While this is a loaded class at offensive tackle, there are very few players with a higher upside than Austin Jackson. His elite athleticism and system versatility will interest many teams near the end of the first round. He will need to improve on his inconsistencies with his technique and add more mass, but this won’t deter a team from taking him somewhat early in the draft. If teams are looking for an athletic tackle to add to their line then look no further than Jackson.

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