The Measurables

Drake Jackson

EDGE – #99 Southern California

HT: 6040
WT: 255
WING: N/A
ARM: N/A
HAND: N/A
DOB: 4/12/2001

Year: Redshirt Sophomore
High School: Centennial (Corona, CA)
HS Rating: 4 star (0.9725)
Phil Steele: PS#137

Drake Jackson scouting report

Good athlete, not great. Has a decent speed rush that he uses well when he can get under the block. Seems to be a step late consistently. I think he thinks he’s more athletic than he is. Lateral quickness is above average. A little bit clumsy with a good bit of wasted movement in his athleticism. Decent first step, above average for the NFL. Decently explosive.

Doesn’t have great upper body strength. Limits his ability as a pass rusher. Doesn’t get a lot of drive out of his lower body. Looks like he could put more on his frame. Balance is above average but leaves room for improvement. Flashes above average bend. Doesn’t look like he knows how to use his hands very well. Doesn’t have a plan when he goes into a rep. Placement is not great. Sometimes, he locks himself up with his poor placement. Struggles even to get off of tight ends.

Strong wrap up tackler. Lacks the willingness to really be a great run defender. Not a great contain defender. Struggles to work through traffic and hold the perimeter. Tends to be much too aggressive with angles. Motor is average. Will start to give up on a play if the ball doesn’t end up near him initially. Play-to-play consistency is there.

Pre-Combine projection

Drake Jackson has a lot of upside just for his athletic ability. However, he’s still a fairly raw prospect who needs some refinement to make him an effective pass rusher. Jackson played both as a 3-4 RUSH EDGE as well as a 4-3 defensive end. He’s at his best as a 5-tech without a tight end, as he struggles to work through double teams tremendously.

We think Jackson is a high-upside developmental prospect who has value in the second/third round range. He will find more value in a multiple-front defense because of his versatility, but he’s a solid season away from making an impact on the field.