Two views
1. DTP
Strengths: A 3-year starter for the Hawkeyes that has played on both sides of the line of scrimmage. A good athlete that eases out of his stance with impressive quickness to get out into his stance. Excels the most when having to handle bigger and powerful rushers, showing the ability to stay square and hunker down into his anchor. Maintains good balance when working through contact, rarely giving up leeway. He shows the recovery strength to reset himself if initially losing ground. In the run game, Jackson shows flashes of being an effective edge blocker. I was impressed when seeing him seal off outside edges with smooth cut blocks. Has the initial quickness out of his stance to reach 2nd level defenders in space.
Weaknesses: Has some sloppy weight on his frame and could stand to drop a few pounds to help his overall movement ability. Played through a bad knee injury that never completely healed in 2019, limiting his overall effectiveness. Lacks the ideal length for his size to play on the outside and could get bumped inside by some teams at the next level. Lower body stiffness is evident throughout, struggles when having to play on an island in space, lacking necessary lateral agility to mirror in space. Attempts to overcompensate in his kick-slide but that leaves him susceptible to counter inside moves where he frequently gets caught on his heels. Reactionary time is just ‘OK’ and is often a tick late when responding to blitzes or stunts.
Best Fit: RT or
Guard - Jackson is a decent prospect that could have developmental upside in the right system. He will likely get drafted higher due to Iowa’s offensive line lineage, but his play on tape isn’t good enough for me to feel comfortable drafting him higher than the 7th round.
2. SIS
One Liner Jackson has the pedigree as a four-year blind-side starter for Iowa, but his limited quickness and length on an island, coupled with his sound short-area execution in all phases
best projects to an NFL guard.Strengths: Accurate hands; Phone booth quickness; Experience
Weaknesses: Blocking in space; Balance; Finishing tenacity
Alaric Jackson is the left tackle for Iowa’s pro-style, run-heavy offense. He played and started 42 games at left tackle in his career, missing 3 games early in 2019 with a knee sprain. Jackson has a thick lower half and short arms. He’s generally a sufficient athlete but isn’t fluid in space. He plays with an adequate motor and toughness. Jackson is a strong pass blocker, but he lacks elite traits to hold up on the perimeter against elite edge talent. He has a good short-set anchor against bull rushes but struggles to get deep in his vertical slide to meet speed at the arc. He possesses the awareness and short-area quickness to react to inside slants and late blitzes. He is accurate with his hands but tends to bend at the waist and lunge for contact to compensate for his inferior length outside. He sufficiently counters finesse rushes and can latch on when engaged. Jackson is quick off the line and has a good first step to position himself in the run game and square to contact. He is able to reach from the back side off his first step alone. He has good lower-body strength to thump and drive vertically off the ball, especially within a double team. However, he has occasional body control issues at the point of attack and can be thrown aside when playing too far over his feet or attacking with a narrow base. He can move to the second level sufficiently and out into space on screens, but he can seem lost looking for work and when trying to keep up with smaller space players. He is stronger in a phone booth and locks into his assignments at the first level very well. He doesn’t finish plays with nastiness, preferring to execute and move on. Despite his collegiate career, Jackson best fits as a guard in a gap scheme moving forward. He would struggle with premier NFL speed as a starting left tackle, but his assignment execution and lower-body strength will play inside. He can certainly flex out to either tackle spot in a pinch as the first man off the bench.
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If Corbett moves to C and certainly either Brian Allen or Coleman Shelton are cut, the need for OG increases. Edwards, Evans, Anchrum and Alaric Jackson? OT's: Whitworth, Havenstein, Noteboom and Brewer?
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2021 06:30AM by PA48.
