Alabama’s Eddie Jackson is an experienced and highly talented safety prospect.
Standing at 6’0, 194 lbs. (according to ‘rolltide.com’), senior defensive back, Eddie Jackson, enters his last year in Tuscaloosa high on many draft boards.
Jackson, came out of Boyd Anderson High School in the class of 2013, from Lauderdale Lakes, Florida where he flashed his position flexibility as a receiver, a defensive back, and a returner. Many (including ESPN and 247Sports) regarded Jackson as a 4-star prospect.
Jackson started at corner in four games as a true freshman in Tuscaloosa while seeing a number of special teams action.
Sophomore year Jackson was aiming for a starting spot before an ACL tear in spring ball. He managed to return to the field in time to play 10 games for the Tide.
Jackson finally made a transition to safety in his junior campaign, resulting in a first team All-SEC selection.
The first thing that stands out about Jackson is his underwhelming size. Weighing in at just over 190 lbs. Jackson is small for any position in the NFL outside of the kicker and punter.
The definition of a cover safety, Jackson is an above average wrap-up tackler for his size but very rarely makes the coveted ‘big hit’ that most look for in their safeties. He also has a tendency to take poor routes to the ball carrier while tending to avoid the big scrum on the football field.
Quicker than he is fast, Jackson has tremendous footwork, allowing him to stay on the hip of nearly every opponent.
Jackson uses his speed to his advantage, watching the quarterback and anticipating his move, Jackson has used his quickness to help develop a great instinct for jumping short/intermediate routes and picking off the throw. In fact, most (if not all) of Jackson’s interceptions are derived from his combination of speed and anticipation.
Jackson can play both safety and corner, the only concern with both is his size; bigger, taller receivers man handle him with relative ease.
Jackson has better hands than most receivers in the college ranks and when in the proper place, he catches almost every ball thrown his way.
NFL Comp: Harrison Smith – Jackson clearly does not have the physicality of Smith but the play making ability on the defensive end is where the two are similar.
Projection: 2nd Round
When it comes down to it, Jackson is a very clean pass defender and while he may struggle bringing down bigger, heavier backs, he makes up for it with good hands, great instincts and a nose for making key plays when it matters most. A team will use an early pick on him, regardless of size.