CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
AUSTIN JACKSON
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-5
320 pounds
20 years old
BIG PICTURE
Highly touted out of high school as a five-star prospect, Austin Jackson began contributing immediately as a true freshman left tackle at USC. While his first season was a bit of a struggle, he improved over the next two years before declaring. Plays exclusively at left tackle. His father spent five NFL seasons playing for the Packers. Jackson’s combine profile portrays excellent explosion and strength for his size.
COMBINE NOTABLES
5.07 40-yard dash
27 bench reps
31-inch vertical (8th)
115-inch broad jump (T-3rd)
7.95 3-cone drill
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
3 out of 5. It seems more and more like the Vikings will draft a tackle, considering the depth there in this class. If they hold off on tackle in the first round, Jackson could be an option on Day 2 to secede Riley Reiff.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Early-entry tackle prospect who is raw but gifted and is likely to be coveted by a variety of teams, thanks to his true left tackle traits. Jackson has loads of athletic ability and play talent that is waiting to be developed and harvested. Inconsistent hand placement and footwork could be exploited early on if teams try and rush him into the starting lineup, but issues are correctable. He’s scheme-diverse with potential guard flexibility if he improves his strength. He could become an early starter but may offer a wider split between floor and ceiling than some teams might like.”
Joe Marino, Draft Network: “A two-year starter at left tackle for Southern Cal, Jackson offers an intriguing blend of length, mobility and a frame capable of adding more muscle to improve his play strength. While there are some appealing components to Jackson and his projection to the next level, he needs a technical overhaul in terms of his footwork to take advantage of his length and quickness. A scheme-specific prospect, Jackson is only a candidate for zone blocking run schemes as he lacks the play strength, bend and tenacity needed to uproot defensive linemen out of their gap. In addition, Jackson has to operate under better control and develop the technique needed to play with far better bend, body control and contact balance. Jackson has enough in the toolbox to develop into a starter but I don’t expect that to happen early in his career and he needs a considerable amount of work.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
31st in overall tackle grade in 2019
4 sacks allowed last season
67.6 run-blocking grade (above average)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
