Lamar

Jackson

Jones got in a limited session on Wednesday, but didn’t respond well and took back-to-back DNPs to end the week. He doesn’t look particularly close to coming back yet. Also inactive for the Bears are DB Elijah Hicks, OL Michael Schofield, DB Lamar Jackson, OL Ja’Tyre Carter, and TE Jake Tonges.

The “other” Lamar Jackson is joined by WR Lawrence Cager, LB Aaron Adeoye, and C Corey Levin among the initial final cuts for Gang Green. 23-year-old Jackson signed with the Jets as an UDFA last season and went on to appear in 13 games for the team, starting six contests and getting in on 40% of the snaps. He wasn’t a fit with the new coaching staff.

Jackson (6'2/208) peaked as a senior with a Big 10-high 15 passes defended, finishing 12th in the nation with 1.3 pass breakups per game. His salivating length (32 1/4") will entice multiple front offices at the next level — Jackson scraps as if he’s bigger than his opponent, no matter their size — but his red flags include getting benched at various times throughout his career for run-ins with numerous coaches; for what it’s worth, Nebraska’s staff claims Jackson showed better focus as a senior following the birth of his son.

Jackson (6'2/208) peaked as a senior with a Big 10-high 15 passes defended, finishing 12th in the nation with 1.3 pass breakups per game. His salivating length (32 1/4") will entice multiple front offices at the next level — Jackson scraps as if he’s bigger than his opponent, no matter their size — but his red flags include getting benched at various times throughout his career for run-ins with numerous coaches; for what it’s worth, Nebraska’s staff claims Jackson showed better focus as a senior following the birth of his son. He projects as a starter with the versatility to move to safety if NFL talent consistently beats him off the line.

As far as looking the part goes, Jackson is a stud. At 6-foot-2 and 208-pounds, Jackson has the length and bulk to be able to keep up with some of the league’s bigger and tougher wide receivers. However, Zierlein notes Jackson’s “instincts and overall awareness are a concern.” Additionally, Jackson is not the fastest CB (he ran a 4.58 second 40-yard dash) and has a tendency to get grabby as soon as he starts to get beat. Jackson will need to find ways to slow down WRs early in the play in order to earn himself regular snaps in the NFL.

There you have it: Lamar Jackson: cornerback is not as fast as Lamar Jackson: Quarterback. Still, this isn’t a bad time for a corner with 6-foot-2, 208-pound size, and he also registered a vertical leap of 36.5 inches on Sunday. It’s possible that teams could look at Jackson as a safety, but NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein believes that he’s best as a zone corner with press potential.

Just over a month ago, Jackson (6'3/215) accepted an invite to the Shrine Bowl. Since the Shrine Bowl is one week before the Senior Bowl, it’s possible Jackson plays in both. A handful of players have done so before, including San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s unclear if Jackson still plans to play in both, but if he drops one, it would surely be the Shrine Bowl. A strong performance down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama could be the boost Jackson needs to go from Day 3 to Day 2 in the draft.

Per CFB Stats, Jackson (6'3/215) has accumulated 15 passes defended in 2019. Only five Power 5 players have recorded more passes defended than Jackson, one of whom is LSU superstar CB Derek Stingley Jr. Jackson is a three-year starter with a nose for the ball and excellent ability to track down the field. Expect Jackson to be one of the best performers at this year’s Shrine Bowl and one of its highest drafted players.

Jackson (6'3/215) is just built differently than most at the position, but he’s had to work to clean up some bad habits. Nebraska HC Scott Frost said, “He’s a guy that’s really taken some things out of last year and by the end of the year was playing at a really high level. He’s a great team guy now. He’s working hard. Got all the talent in the world.” Jackson has the potential to be riser ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.