USC Football: Could Austin Jackson work way into NFL draft’s first round?

There are a group of offensive tackles that are trying to work their way into the first round, could USC football’s Austin Jackson do just that?

Everyone is fairly certain that the top four tackles that will be taken in the draft are Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.

The next group of tackles are a group of high ceiling offensive tackles that are trying to work their way into the first round. USC’s Austin Jackson could be one of those guys. He is a young and athletic tackle with a high ceiling and NFL front offices covet guys like Jackson.

Jackson was already playing by the time that he was a freshman at USC, mostly in a reserve role and on special teams before becoming the starting left tackle as a sophomore. He started all 12 games as a sophomore during USC’s disappointing 5-7 season in 2018.

Jackson looked to help lead the Trojans to an improved season in 2019 and he did help the Trojans to an 8-5 record and became a first-team all Pac-12 performer in the process.

Moreover, he had a solid showing at the NFL combine, running a 5.07 40-yard dash and putting up 27 reps on the bench press and a 31-inch vertical jump. Jackson displayed his athleticism during drills and he has seen his stock go up ever since.

Strengths

Jackson has the look of a prototypical NFL offensive tackle at 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds and the athleticism that teams are looking for in an offensive lineman. He is athletic for someone his size and does well at the start of the play by getting off the snap and getting his feet set in pass protection quickly.

He does well moving to the second level and clearing lanes in the run lane. He is a young guy that still has a lot to learn and his ceiling has not been reached yet and NFL teams convince themselves all the time that they can help these guys reach their potential.

Weaknesses

Jackson lacks strength and struggles with more powerful rushers and that was evident in the Trojans bowl game against Iowa, where Jackson was tasked with going up against fellow NFL draft prospect AJ Epenesa — he dominated the game and finished with two sacks and was consistently getting pressure when blocked by Jackson.

On top of that, Jackson does not use his hands well when punching to set up his pass protection and gets beat far too often around the edge by players. He is a very raw prospect that has some serious developing to do before he can be a quality starter in the NFL.

Draft Projection

There are teams at the bottom of the first round that are in need of offensive tackles and teams in the top 10 like the Giants and Chargers who need tackles but might take other players with their first selection. He will be a hot commodity in the middle to late first round or right at the top of the second round. Jackson is a high ceiling low floor player that needs developing and is a project.

Projection: Late-first, early-second round