2018 NFL Draft: Donte Jackson Scouting Report

LSU’s Donte Jackson is a 2018 NFL Draft cornerback prospect who features elite athleticism.

Donte Jackson is a fluid athlete with the speed needed to run with any receiver in the NFL. He plays as fast as any prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, his speed is only part of his appeal as Jackson is also a rounded cover guy.

LSU routinely asked Jackson to play tight man coverage. In this role, he played with excellent balance and fluid hips. Jackson really limits separation using his balance and quickness to keep in in-phase with his target.

He is an aggressive defender who attacks the football. Jackson’s quick-twitch ability allows him to aggressively click and close. He also features the awareness to use proper angles and generate pass breakups.

Jackson has elite speed and will rarely be outpaced by an offensive player. This means that he does a great job preventing the big play. It also means that he can recover from a poor read.

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Despite mainly working in man coverage, Jackson does have the awareness to work in a zone. He keeps his head on a swivel and feels the routes developing. His quickness helps him close on the ball and keep it out of the receiver’s hands.

Jackson is a well-rounded prospect in that he will support the run. He routinely hustles to the football and doesn’t hesitate to attack. The only problem is that his smaller and slight frame will limit his upside as a tackler.

His size is also something that could cause some problems in coverage. However, Jackson doesn’t back down from a challenge and will fight through contact. His aggressive play helps him overcome his lack of size.

Jackson’s ability to create turnovers may also be limited. He registered at total of 4 interceptions in his college career, but dropped plenty of other potential interceptions. Jackson has the instincts and athleticism to put himself in position to create turnovers, but lacks the hands to routinely haul them in.

This isn’t something that will kill his draft stock. However, it’s something that evaluators will consider when making their decision. The thought is that Jackson’s pure coverage skills could help win out over his inconsistent hands.