By J.T.
Photo credit- Whole Hog Sports
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Arkansas, Edge, Landon Jackson
Name- Landon Jackson
Pos- Edge
Team- Arkansas
HT/WT- 6’7” 281 lbs
Born- 1/2/2003
Home – Texarkana, TX
Jackson attended Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas where he was a consensus four-star prospect by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. He was ranked as the No. 7 defensive lineman nationally and had a decorated high school career that saw him collect 45 sacks and be named a Sports Illustrated All-American. He chose LSU over several other Division 1 offers.
As a freshman, Jackson played in five games, seeing all of his action on special teams and not registering any stats. At the conclusion of the season, he entered the transfer portal and committed to play football at Arkansas.
Last season Jackson played in 13 games, starting 7, collecting 23 tackles with 3 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 forced fumble.
This season, Jackson has been dominating on the field, and scouts are watching him ascend draft boards. In 8 games he has 34 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 10.5 tackles for a loss.
Jackson is a smooth edge rusher with length and speed, using both abilities to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. Has an explosive burst off the snap and instantly puts pressure on offensive lineman. His versatility is his big calling card, dropping into coverage out of a 3-point stance, or using his speed to cover tight ends. He plays with strong hands and once he locks on to a lineman, he disengages quickly. He has enough flexibility and speed to get around tackles and it feels like he is always causing chaos in the backfield. He has room to add some weight and muscle without losing his athleticism, which is scary.
As with any other prospect, Jackson has some faults that need to be fixed. When he lines up in a 3-point stance he has a tight base, and quicker offensive lineman can create balance issues right off the snap. He is very raw in his mechanics and more times than not, he gets by on his athleticism and size. In the NFL he will need to be more creative with pass rushing moves because some of his tricks will not work as well as they do in college. He needs to do a better job of reading traps and misdirections and not take himself out of plays.
Landon Jackson’s NFL comparison could be ex-Iowa edge rusher Anthony Nelson. Nelson, a 4th round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019 was more polished as a pass rusher but not as versatile as Jackson in coverage. Jackson is more raw than Nelson but has a much higher ceiling.
Strengths
Length
Explosion
Athletic
Hands
Weaknesses
Base
Raw
Balance
Run reads
Final Analysis
Landon Jackson has been skyrocketing up draft boards and there has even been whispers of a possible first round pick. Draft 412 thinks he will be an early second day pick who could be a future pass rushing star in the league.
Draft 412 Draft Projection - Round 2