Tarron

Jackson

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Jackson is “conscious and can feel all of his extremities right now.” Jackson is being taken to Stanford Hospital for further evaluation. We wish him a swift and complete recovery.

Jackson will serve as the fourth edge rusher for the Panthers on game days. The 26-year-old was originally drafted by the Eagles in the 6th round of the 2021 NFL Draft and was cut by Philadelphia in August. He didn’t appear in a game last season but has 18 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble in his first two seasons in the NFL.

Jackson (6’2/254) didn’t even have a star rating coming out of college and was destined for the Division II level until CCU stepped up to offer him a scholarship and the rest is history. He was a cornerstone player and team captain for the 2020 Chanticleers team that captivated the college football world. High end production, recorded 172 tackles, 38.5 TFL and 21.5 sacks over the past three seasons, being named as an All-SBC performer in each of them culminating with him being named a Consensus All-American last year. Jackson’s competition level was consistently low as CCU didn’t face a single Power Five team over the last two seasons (they did play Kansas, who is a P5 program in name only). Though he dominated the SBC landscape, he found the sledding a lot tougher at the Senior Bowl where he got neutralized by the higher caliber offensive lineman during practice sessions. His 4.71 40-yard dash was his best testing mark, rating in the 86th percentile. However the rest of his scores were pretty average which led to his 5.64 RAS. He’s undersized for the position and doesn’t have the requisite bend and fluidity to challenge the edge as a face-up rusher. He doesn’t change directions well and can rush inside or outside. Even so, he’s good with his hands and has the strength to take on pulling linemen on rush plays. Drives through contact thanks to advanced balance and is a dogged pursuer on the rush. Jackson was a wildly productive player at the collegiate level, but there are serious questions as to how his profile will transfer in the NFL.

Jackson (6'2/265) caps off an amazing season with AP All-American First Team accolades in addition to All-American recognition from ESPN and The Athletic. The redshirt senior was named as a Nagurski Trophy Finalist and a Bednarik Award Semifinalist in addition to a host of other superlatives. He was the cornerstone of an excellent CCU defense, leading the team in tackles for loss with 13.5 and sacks with 8.5 to go with three forced fumbles. He is considered a mid-round prospect for NFL Draft purposes and could greatly improve his stock with a solid set of Senior Bowl practices.

“Jackson is obviously raw as a pass rusher and has not fully realized his growth,” Spooner writes of the 6-foot-2, 265-pound CCU product. The analyst notes that Jackson’s success to this point has largely come due to his pure athletic gifts, rather than technical proficiency or a real pass-rush plan. Those are aspects of his game which could come along with additional coaching. Run defense is also a bugaboo of Jackson’s at this juncture. Still, Spooner sees real upside if the entire package does end up coming together.