The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Brennan Jackson.
Brennan Jackson's 2024 NFL Combine RESULTS
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 264
- 40-yard dash: 4.69
- 10-yard split: 1.62
- Vertical jump: 33.5"
- Broad jump: 9'6"
- Arm Length: 32 ¾”
Brennan Jackson 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- Good size and length for an edge defender. Consistently played with high-level aggression and competitiveness.
- Effective use of arm length to extend and lockout, keeping feet clean to play off contact. Short-stroke power.
- Consistently used his hands effectively to work through and play off OL/TE blocks to make plays in the run game.
- Physical at POA in the run game when he used his hands effectively. Showed strength to control and displace.
- Strong, heavy hands are a part of his traits profile. Snaps where he shocked and jarred the OT with quick strikes off the snap.
- What immediately stood out was his quickness off the ball and physicality. Played with assignment discipline.
- Flashed speed-to-power as a wide edge rusher with a runway to generate velocity and speed creating torque.
- Showed an explosive inside spin move. Balance and body control to accelerate to the QB.
- Desirable combination of strength and plus athleticism. Made impact plays resulting from both traits.
- Outstanding playing personality with high-level competitiveness. Played with tenacity through every snap
WEAKNESSES
- More straight-line linear than loose-hipped in his movement. Not a great change of direction or re-direct athlete.
- Not a true pass rusher at this point. Lacks needed lateral quickness and is limited with his approach.
- Not many tools in his tool box as a pass rusher. Relied almost exclusively on speed-to-power with few counters.
- Did not show the body flexibility and bend at the top of pass rush arc to flatten rush path and close with speed.
NFL TRANSITION
Jackson was a fun player to watch with his high-intensity, competitive approach on every snap that left no mystery as to how he played the game. Jackson, while not a sudden, explosive athlete, possesses a desirable combination of plus athleticism and movement enhanced by his non-stop motor and outstanding playing personality, strength and power.
His short-stroke power showed within 6 to 10 inches off the line to shock OL and TEs off the snap. What consistently stood out watching Jackson’s tape was his persistent effort, playing with an urgency that bordered on maniacal. That mindset resulted in his competitiveness to drive through blockers with physical toughness and plus play strength.
As a pass rusher, Jackson did not bring many moves with him. Speed-to-power is his foundation, but he did flash an inside spin move that had some explosiveness to it. He also brings some front versatility with his ability to line up inside and be a factor as a pass rusher.
Overall, Jackson showed first-step quickness off the ball with plus power when he had some runway and strong hands to play contact. Those traits usually translate to the next level. Jackson also showed POA strength as a run defender, shedding 1-on-1 blocks and aggressively taking on double teams.
Coaches will like Jackson, and he will become an important rotational piece in 6-8 DL fronts that are now prevalent in the NFL. Can Jackson also transition as a standup OLB in the five-man fronts that many teams now feature?
I think he can, and that gives him a lot of positional versatility. Jackson’s height/weight and athletic testing measurables were similar to George Karlaftis’. Karlaftis exceeded Jackson somewhat meaningfully in the vertical and broad. The question is how evaluators and coaches see that regarding his projection.
OTHER NOTES
Jackson played five years at Washington State after coming out of California as a three-star recruit. He played DL and TE in high school. Jackson earned his first start as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. He became a three-year, full-time starter and was named Second-Team All-Pac 12 in 2022 and 2023.
He almost exclusively lined up on the outside at DE but there were some snaps inside at DT.
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