NFL Weekly Recap: Prospects Prepare for the NFL Combine

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Dec 31, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Houston Cougars cornerback William Jackson III (3) celebrates after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 38-24 during the 2015 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

Draft Player Spotlight

Player: CB William Jackson III

Measurables: 6’1 195lbs

As I’ve stated earlier before, draft twitter falls in love with a player every year and this is year it just so happens to be cornerback William Jackson III from Houston. Depending on who you talk to, Jackson has either set himself apart from his peers or he is just another guy in a deep position. No one truly has a rating for where he should go. Some analysts have him as a top-15 lock and others see him as talented third to fourth rounder. Regardless of where he’s projected, Jackson will intrigue many teams over the next few weeks.

Strengths:

One of the biggest aspects overlooked in evaluating defensive backs is their ability to backpedal with fluid hips. As simple as it sounds, many scouts are going to start with the player’s base skills. Jackson is one of the corners that can move swiftly without being troubled by his footwork.

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He has great size and length to disrupt receivers at the point of attack. Jackson does a great job high pointing the ball in the air and doesn’t get caught looking in the backfield often. There are many corners that waits for a play to happen but Jackson is always on the go to make them happen himself.

Of course over the past few years, the long, taller corner trend has made a impact on the NFL but having size and speed doesn’t always translate on the field. In Jackson’s case, he understands his physical abilities and knows when to become aggressive.

He’s patient at the line of scrimmage and has great hand placement while in press coverage. All of these are going to be traits are going to be noted to teams before the draft. With players like Vernon Hargreaves, Jalen Ramsey, and Mackensie Alexander heading the cornerback position, Jackson may not get the recognition that he deserves but it still may be a blessing in disguises on draft. Teams will take longer looks at Jackson than others because he played at Houston but it gives him a chance to make the most of interviews.

Weakness:

Now though Jackson may have all the characteristics to become an elite corner, he still get caught jumping routes deep down the field. His field awareness is great for a player at his level but he hasn’t seen a variety of routes that could confuse him deep in a game.

Being consistent is a major component to any position in the NFL and something Jackson has to do better on. He can become lazy sometimes with his techniques and at times he can give up plays to players better than his expectations. I wouldn’t necessarily plug him in as a man to man player because skill set doesn’t touches every base of being that type of player.

While watching film, I would love to seem him contain his excite during a play and watch the play develop instead of over rushing his boundaries. He could sometimes become a little aggressive at the line of scrimmage forcing him to play catch up. Because of his length and the competition he went against, he could do that.

Overview:

These next few weeks are going to be critical to every player in this year’s draft regardless of rankings. Interviews, the Combine, workouts, and media appearance are all going to become factors for players and in Jackson’s case it will be emphasized to the up most.

I do believe that he can become a great NFL player but like many young defensive backs, he’ll have to adjust to the game speed and talent.

Next: Players to Watch During Combine

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