2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Landon Jackson

Jackson completed every key athletic test between the NFL Combine and his pro day. He graded out with an impressive relative athletic score of 9.78 out of 10.

Background:

Coming out of high school in Texarkana, Texas, Landon Jackson was a four-star recruit, the #7 ranked EDGE, and the #110 overall recruit in his class, per 24/7 Sports. He committed to LSU over offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. Entering college, Jackson weighed somewhere around 240 pounds. He bulked up to around 260 pounds as a freshman at LSU while playing scout team defensive tackle. After LSU fired Ed Orgeron, Jackson entered the transfer portal and landed at Arkansas.

At Arkansas, Jackson claims he cut down to 235 pounds as a sophomore before adding good mass up to roughly 270 pounds over the next two years. At the NFL combine, he weighed in at 264 pounds. He played at least 450 snaps per season in his three years at Arkansas, accumulating 16 sacks, 76 pressures, and 28 tackles for loss.

• 2023: First-team All-SEC (Coaches)
• 2024: Second-team All-SEC (AP, Coaches)

Amongst 199 FBS EDGE rushers with at least 300 snaps in 2024, Jackson had the 28th-best overall PFF grade, the 132nd-best pass-rushing grade, and the 3rd-best run defense grade. His pass rush win rate of 11.2% ranked 157th.

Strengths:

• Jackson has a psychotic motor, twitched-up athletic traits, and imposing size.
• When he lands his hands, he brings impressive pop to dent blockers and creates advantageous angles. His hands stay active throughout the rep.
• He has the vertical and horizontal burst to close on narrow gaps and leave blockers in the dust.
• Jackson has a knack for staying on his feet. His ability to bend above the waist on contact and continue to fight is different.
• He is welcoming to a fistfight, showing grit and willingness to do the dirty work.
• Jackson is a tough, nasty football player who wants all the heat.
• He was a two-year captain at Arkansas who was never worried about his stats as much as team success.

Weaknesses:

• Jackson shows the body control of a baby deer, with leggy, upright movement, and sometimes lacks purpose with his movements.
• Despite an impressive ability to stay on his feet and move with urgency, it doesn't take much to make Jackson stumble and throw him off course.
• He is not a very fluid athlete. Everything is explosive and jerky, leading to questions about how sustainable his athleticism might be.
• Jackson wins with chaos and athleticism more than a plan and technique. He gets in trouble by playing like he is still 235 pounds instead of tapping into his powerful frame.
• His tight hips and lower half limit his ability to dip around the corner or generate speed to power with good, rising leverage.
• His inability to quickly drop his hips limits his anchor against more powerful drive blockers.

Final Thoughts and Bears Fit for Landon Jackson:

Landon Jackson is a player that I keep coming back to. I know the flaws and limitations, but the athletic profile, motor, and urgency he plays with are hard for me to move past. I cannot help but think that a player with these tools and this perceived level of coachability will figure it out if he gets with a coach and scheme that capitalizes on his abilities.

Jackson is an explosive, high-motor defender with outstanding athletic traits, size, and a relentless playing style. He plays with active hands and has no fear regarding physical challenges. His resilience and traits set him apart, even if his approach is more chaotic than calculated.

However, Jackson struggles with body control, fluidity, and technique, often playing too upright and lacking power moves as a pass rusher. It is weird to see a player his size who is not contact-averse but lacks effective power moves. His tight hips and limited lower-body flexibility hinder his leverage and ability to effectively anchor or bend around blockers.

Jackson's fit with the Bears is debatable. On one hand, he offers the size, athleticism, and traits Dennis Allen seeks for his defensive ends. However, he lacks the power playstyle that Allen desires, and the Bears will likely need to rebuild his approach from the ground up, which could be a multi-year process. I believe the Bears have the coaches and veteran talent in their defensive end room to take a swing on the upside in the second round. Don't be fooled, though; Jackson's evaluation has a good amount of risk, as evidenced by the wide range of outcomes in comparable players.

Pro Comp - (Lofty) Ceiling: Maxx Crosby

Pro Comp - Most Likely: Joe Tryon