Written by Matt Jennings at BleacherReport.com
As the debate rages over how high prospects like Jalen Ramsey and Carson Wentz should go in the NFL draft, teams picking late in the first round should be hoping to land William Jackson III.
Jackson is not rated as highly as Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III and Clemson’s Mackensie Alexander, who both come from programs with bigger brands.
The former Houston cornerback didn’t benefit from the attention that comes with playing in a Power Five conference. Despite going 13-1 and winning the Peach Bowl last season, not many people watched the Cougars for most of the year.
Jackson’s unique combination of size, speed and coverage skills, however, makes him one of the best defensive backs in this draft.
Physically, he has everything a team could want in a corner. He has the size at 6’0″ to match up with the biggest receivers on most teams. He’s also long and can easily get his arms into passing lanes.
He ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. That’s a great time for anyone, let alone a cornerback of his size.
Yet, Jackson’s skills in coverage are what make him more than a physical talent. Jeff Dooley of Pro Football Focus writes that Jackson is “possibly the best pure cornerback prospect in this class.”
That analysis is based on how he combines those physical tools with great play recognition and technique in coverage.
Jackson reads plays very well. He can diagnose when a pass is coming his way and uses his speed to jump routes and break up throws or grab interceptions.
Here against Temple in 2014, Jackson sees where the pass is going and darts in front of it for an easy interception. His speed lets him return it for a touchdown without a problem.
When he can’t get a pick, he has a knack for breaking plays up. He consistently manages to either get a hand in to deflect the pass or land a hit and knock it loose.
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