William Jackson Scouting Report

Feb 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston defensive back William Jackson goes through a workout drill during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

While it doesn’t seem likely at first glance, Houston cornerback William Jackson is a potential first-round selection for the Detroit Lions.

Jackson checks a lot of boxes NFL teams, Detroit included, covet at the position.

Vitals

6’0”
189 pounds
31 ¾” arms, 9 ¼” hands
37 40-yard dash
116” broad jump
86 3-cone, 4.32 20-yard shuttle

The length and speed definitely show up on the field for the Cougars. His long speed is able to carry even the fastest wideouts, and Jackson demonstrates fluidity and the ability to flip his hips smoothly and quickly.

Beyond the obvious physical attributes, Jackson also has a lot of impressive tape and production to bolster his case as the top CB in the draft class. His 23 PDs and 5 INTs led the nation in plays on the ball, despite missing the Memphis game.

He uses his length superbly and has the click-and-close burst to finish the play. This walloping example from the Tulane game is a completion against most corners, but Jackson has the burst and power to separate the receiver from the ball:

His ability to use his strength and proper positioning against bigger receivers stands out, as on this play against Keyarris Garrett, a middle-round pick, from Tulsa:

Smaller corners just can’t pull that off, but he also has the instincts to understand where the throw will be and what the bigger receiver will try to do in these types of situations. He smartly eliminates the back-shoulder throw with his technique, and because he’s long enough and fast enough to prevent the over-the-top throw he is a real asset in the red zone.

There is experience playing both the field and boundary corner positions. He’s at his best in press-bail man coverage, but did show decent zone awareness and route recognition when the Cougars went to a more passive shell.

The awareness and ability to stay engaged on broken plays stands out, such as in this play from the AAC Championship game against Temple:

Note how he can track both his coverage mark and the quarterback scrambling around and anticipates the throw better than the receiver does. Jackson does this across multiple games, and that absolutely translates to the NFL.

The biggest criticism is that he’s often tall when he doesn’t need to be. While the JUCO transfer starts nice and low in his stance and keeps his center of gravity down and balanced, he will pop upright before he makes his breaks to turn and run with receivers. Quicker guys can exploit this, especially when tacking across the middle of the field.

He also approaches tackling too upright. It’s as if he’s trying to make himself look bigger, like a bear trying to deter a rival from entering his turf. It doesn’t work, and Jackson will whiff on tackles as a result. He is also not as strong as other taller CBs in terms of controlling the receiver release and also at fighting off blocks.

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Jackson does have some experience playing on special teams, though he was ineffective at blocking the opposing punt gunner. I don’t see him keeping that role at the next level.

The NFL pays corners to cover and make plays on the ball, and that is Jackson’s bread and butter. He is the best corner in this class to my eyes, and deserves to be among the first 15 players to come off the board. He compares to Darius Slay, a guy who struggled early with the transition to the bigger/faster NFL before it clicked and he became a Pro Bowl-level talent. I can see the same with Jackson.

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