NFL Analysis
4/26/24
4 min read
McKinnley Jackson 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Cincinnati Bengals DT
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 McKinnley Jackson.
McKinnley Jackson'S 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 6-foot-1 1/2
- Weight: 326
- Arm length: 33 7/8"
- 40-yard dash: 5.26
- 10-yard split: 1.78
- Vertical jump: 23'
- Broad jump: 8'10"
- 20-yard shuttle: NA
McKinnley Jackson 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- Aligned predominantly at DT, playing multiple positions in the front: 0-technique, 1-technique, 2i, 2-technique.
- Showed good quickness off the ball for a DT with his size and mass. Light feet to slant into gaps in the run game.
- Came off the ball low with good leverage, getting into gaps and disrupting blocking schemes in the run game.
- Explosive off snap with short-area quickness to get into interior OL or attack their edges as a penetrator.
- Strength and power with a firm base to control and displace interior OL plus change of direction and lateral burst.
- Excellent feel for hand placement coming off the ball and attacking interior OL. Played with strong technique.
- Dominant snaps in the run game with excellent hand placement and strength-power to move-displace OL.
- Showed a strong rip move as an inside pass rusher from 0-technique alignment to clear OC and get to the QB.
- Flashed pass rush snaps in which he showed the body flexibility to bend, then flatten his rush path to the QB.
- Showed some bull rush power to drive back the interior OL into the pocket. Fired and locked out with his hands.
- Desirable combination of strength and power as run defender and inside pass rusher. Controlled OL.
WEAKNESSES
- He needs to do a better job with his arms locking out OL. Inconsistent with technique. Must fire them off the ball.
- There were too many snaps in which he was controlled off the snap by the OC or OG and got stuck, unable to displace.
- Anchor issues and block deconstruction issues were prevalent throughout his tape. That must be improved.
- Did not make many plays in the run game, too often getting blocked or moved out of the POA. Must be sturdier.
- He's not a pass rusher at this point in his development. Would be limited to playing DT in base defense fronts.
NFL TRANSITION
Jackson is an interior DL who can play in multiple odd and even front alignments and is effective as both a 2-gap and 1-gap player. Throughout his tape, Jackson showed flashes of being a strong interior defender versus the run and as a pass rusher, with off-the-ball quickness at times and some explosiveness to get into OL or attack the edges and gaps.
There were dominant snaps throughout his tape in which he looked like a higher-level DT prospect who could be a significant part of a DL rotation at the next level and even get significant snaps. But there were too many snaps in which he was stoned off the ball or on the ground, and that was concerning as you projected and transitioned him to the NFL.
Overall, while Jackson showed some snapshots of inside pass rush with reps of quickness, some natural explosiveness off the ball and strong hand usage, he is not at this point a higher-quality rusher and would not play in sub fronts in the NFL early in his career. The question is, can he develop into that kind of DT with coaching and experience?
Jackson would begin his NFL career as a second or third DT (0-technique or 1-technique) in a 7-9 DL rotation, and he would need to improve significantly as a force in the run game to get meaningful snaps as a rookie at the next level.
OTHER NOTES
Jackson was a four-star recruit out of high school in Mississippi and played four years at Texas A&M, starting 24 games.
There were third down and passing situation snaps in which Jackson lined up at 3-technique and rushed the quarterback.
