All of the attention this offseason with the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense is on defensive tackle David Stone. Stone projects to be a top-ten player in the 2027 NFL Draft, but his running mate, Jayden Jackson, deserves some love, too.
Nose tackles do not get drafted very high in recent years, but could Jackson project more as an NT than a DT, and could find himself as the exception to the rule? Let’s talk about it.
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Recruiting rank: Four-star recruit, no. 29 DL nationally in 2024
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Hometown: Bradenton, Florida
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Games watched: Auburn, Ole Miss, Alabama
Strengths:
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Tons of playing experience, saw the field early as a true freshman
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Great anchor for the interior against the run, can eat double teams with ease
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Heavy-handed. Initial punch knocks back his blocker
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Nimble giant for a player his size. The footwork is very clean, and lateral agility is a plus
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Legs are always churning on passing downs. Surprising sack production from a potential NT
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Short area burst is there, getting to a different gap when he recognizes run
Weaknesses:
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Bull rush is all he has in terms of pass rush set, needs to utilize his agility more
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Heavy-handed? Yes. Consistent in where they land? No. Needs to shrink the landing zone
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Effort is there early, but as games go on, his condition tends to fail him
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Not overly concerned about production, as for me, he projects at NT. But, it will be a talking point if he stays as DT
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When blockers land early, he almost appears stunned and doesn’t know where to go from there
Jayden Jackson has the opportunity in 2026 to really elevate his draft stock heading into the 2027 NFL Draft. Oklahoma figures to be a quality team this season, and playing alongside David Stone will take most of the attention for the offensive line, leaving him with more one-on-one opportunities. It will be up to him to capitalize on these openings and make the most of them.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2027 NFL Draft Summer Scouting Report on Oklahoma’s Jayden Jackson
