Drake Jackson 2021 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Interior Offensive Line
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 293 Lbs.
School: University of Kentucky
Drake Jackson 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Acting as one of the leaders of the Kentucky locker room, Drake Jackson presents an interesting option on the offensive line. Recruited to Kentucky as a top-150 prospect and the number-two center in his class, he joined the school with some pedigree. Despite having offers from schools like Ohio State, Alabama, and Florida, he stayed with his home state Wildcats. Ranked the second-best player in his state at the time, he gave the Wildcats a lot of benefit in their offense by staying home.
Over his four years at the school, he provided stability and consistency. Jackson played in 47 games and made 44 consecutive starts at center before the end of his senior season. Named a captain during his final season, he was Second-Team All-SEC at the center position and an All-American honorable mention. Further, he was Pro Football Focus’s fifth-highest graded center in college football in 2020 with an 86.4 positional grade. Interestingly, Drake Jackson did not test at his pro day. Instead, evaluators will have to use is Senior Bowl information to get more background on the young lineman.
Strengths
- Keeps his feet moving and stays active in plays
- Excellent hand placement and shows a knack for hitting the strike zone on defenders
- Shows power off the snap and enters combat mode
- Smashes defenders in the run games and drives them out of the way
- Plays with impressive body control and can find ways to execute in short spaces
Weaknesses
- Below average size for a typical NFL lineman
- Gets knocked around and moved by linebackers crashing the middle
- Doesn’t show too much speed on pull blocks
- Struggles to recover when he’s defeated by a pass rusher
- Can succumb to bull rushes once he’s held up for too long
NFL Comparison: Ben Jones
Teams With Need at Position: Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers
Projection: Fourth to Early Fifth Round
Bottom Line on Drake Jackson
Entering the NFL Draft this spring, Jackson certainly has some of the traits teams strongly desire in a young prospect. Praised by his teammates at Kentucky, he’ll enter any locker room with a good attitude and make the culture stronger. In general, teams need to know about his ability to add weight and keep his agility. Heading to the next level, Jackson needs to prove he can add some power. That would greatly help him force professional pass rushers out of the backfield. Still, Jackson projects as an immediate boost for a team looking to improve their running game. He’s an excellent blocker in that area and fits any zone run scheme from day one. Still, he’s probably not one of the draft’s day one starters, at least not on a good line. With a lot to learn, but the right attitude about learning, Jackson is a fit for teams with some patience.
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