Darrell Jackson Jr.

● Rare, big-boned frame with evenly distributed mass, long arms and wingspan of an aircraft carrier ● Absorbs contact in run game to stack the point of attack ● Uses play strength to tear away and deconstruct blocks ● Good feel for where to find the ball carrier once engaged ● Uses length to stick out his bear-claw hands and fish runners from the hole 412 Back to table of contents -- 416 of 629 -- ● Awesome straight-ahead power to forcefully walk centers backward ● Flashes swim, arm-over and stab moves as a pass rusher ● Worked hard to develop his body (bulked up from 200 pounds as a high school junior to 340 pounds as a college senior) ● NFL scouts say he was a “positive influence” in a locker room that battled a ton of adversity the past two years

● Pops upright — pad level likely will always be an issue for him ● Stiff, rigid mover who labors when attempting to change directions ● Looks to overwhelm anything in front of him as a pass rusher, but needs a changeup to complement his fastball ● Average lateral agility, which hinders his ability to work half-a-man and slither through gaps ● Late to the game; still playing catch-up in terms of play recognition ● Below-average career backfield production

A two-year starter at Florida State (and three-year starter overall), Jackson lined up as a nose tackle over the center in three-man fronts and as a one-tech in even looks in defensive coordinator Tony White’s scheme. After playing football for the first time as a junior in high school, he made stops at Maryland and Miami before transferring to Florida State in 2023 to be closer to his mother. He improved his run defense as a senior, but his pass-rush production nosedived from 2024 (30 pressures, 3.5 sacks) to 2025, when he played in a new scheme (14 pressures, one sack). With his massive features and arms that dangle to his knees, Jackson looks like a comic-book character and has an old-school aesthetic (doesn’t wear gloves or anything on his wrists/arms). He flashes dominance in the run game, with the length to keep blockers out of his frame and the play strength to dispose of single blocks. Against double and triple teams, he uses his rare size to absorb force and dig in his heels. With either a stab move or pure power, he can push the pocket but is still learning how to transition out of his bull rush. Overall, Jackson might never develop into a playmaker, but he has larger-than-life traits to do the dirty work at nose and occasionally pressure the quarterback. He plays big in a big-man’s game — and there is always room for that type of player in the NFL.