2022 NFL DRAFT PROSPECT REPORT
- Name: D'Marco Jackson
- Position: Linebacker
- School: App State
- Height: 6'0"
- Weight: 235lbs
Film Watched: Louisiana 2021, Coastal Carolina 2021, South Alabama 2021
Pro's:
- Compact, muscular linebacker who plays with an edge
- Excellent athleticism. True sideline to sideline speed
- Beats outreached hands of blockers and keeps himself alive to make a play on the ball
- Excellent in pass protection. Competent both in zone or covering RB’s/TE’s in man
- Has the click & close to undercut routes, and developed instincts to record 3 INT’s and 11 passes defensed in last two years
- Let off the leash to shoot gaps and blitz the QB as a senior. Added 20 TFL’s and 6 sacks to his resume
- Plays ultra physical between the tackles, and rarely lets a tackle escape
- Production explosion in 2021, with 119 tackles (more than 200 tackles the last two years in Boone)
D'Marco Jackson is a LB prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 8.41 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 349 out of 2188 LB from 1987 to 2022.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 6, 2022
Note, weight was corrected due to an error.https://t.co/WkjOHjxRRU #RAS via @Mathbomb pic.twitter.com/K0d9fCePMk
Con's:
- Short arms. Length hinders his ability to escape blocks once opponents have latched on
- Tackle radius lower than desired, and he operates better in tighter quarters as a result
- A little lean in the lower half of his body – vulnerable anchor and can get moved out of his gap fit
- Sometimes a little slow to process what is in front of him, slowing his pursuit
- Eschews his gap discipline on occasion when enthusiasm to find the football takes over
The Verdict:
“Speed and grit. That’s what D’Marco Jackson brought to the football field for App State the last four years, and he’s won a hell of a lot of admirers because of it - myself included. Jackson might be a tad undersized for NFL tastes to play inside - but nobody has told him that, and i’m pretty sure ball carriers respect his physicality and aggression when he introduces himself at the point of contact. There is a little bit of a contradictory feel to Jackson’s eval, in that he has the speed to operate as a WILL linebacker (where his size is less of an issue), but his tackle range is much more suited on the interior where his presence is harder to avoid. Jackson comes with considerable special teams pedigree that will allow him to make an instant impact at the next level, whilst a coaching staff decides how he can contribute on defense.”
Simon Carroll
Head Of NFL Draft Content
NFL COMPARISON: DEION JONES
PREDICTION: 7TH ROUND PICK
Rated 5 out of 5