Positional ranking: #10

Big Board ranking: #54

 

Overview

Position: CB

College: Miami

Class: Senior

Age: 22

 

Measurables

Height: 6’0 5/8”

Weight: 210 lbs.

Arm length: 32 1/2″

Hand size: 9 3/4″

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.45 sec.

Vertical jump: 40.5”

Broad jump: 130.0”

Bench press: 13 reps

3-cone drill: 7.12 sec.

Short shuttle: 4.12 sec.

 

Strengths

Physical cornerback with ideal size and strength. Solid overall build. Plus athleticism and movement skills. Smooth for his size. Gets his hands on receivers in press coverage. Knows how to use length. Quality technique. Keeps feet and shoulders square. Stays low in the backpedal. Smothers outside releases by using the sideline. Does a quality job flipping his hips and getting his head around in bump-and-run coverage. Experienced and aware in zone coverage. Stays on top of the receiver and deflects the ball at the catch point. Good ball skills. Willing and effective tackler. Doesn’t tip his hand as a blitzer.

 

Weaknesses

Can miss his jam and allow too much separation on in-breaking routes. Gets grabby at times. Not a great fit for off-man coverage. Tested faster than he looks on tape.

 

NFL comparison

Pierre Desir – The best scheme for Michael Jackson will likely be one that plays plenty of press-man or zone coverage, and that’s exactly what Desir thrived doing in Indianapolis last season; I think the two are very similar as physical corners that can shutdown high-end talent on the perimeter.

 

Conclusion

Overall, Michael Jackson has the size and coverage ability to be an excellent value on Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft, so we’ll see if the elite athletic testing is able to boost him in the eyes of NFL teams. Jackson could be a ten-year starter with the right franchise.