NFL Draft Combine riser: CB William Jackson
By Will Lomas
The Tennessee Titans have a great opportunity to get a great player, not just in the first round of the draft but really in the first three rounds. Draft season is now in full swing with the 2016 NFL Draft Combine coming to a close, and all eyes are starting to shift towards the Tennessee Titans.
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In every NFL Draft Combine, we find out who the elite athletes are as well as whose teams lied about their height and weight on their sites. This is where the true “risers” and “fallers” come from when you hear those terms thrown around.
With that, let’s look at a player who has really changed his draft stock with one day of performances:
William Jackson III CB, Houston
I have loved Jackson for a long time, but this Combine really made him pop according to what people at the event are saying.
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First of all, he is one of the few corners in this draft that stands taller than 6 feet, after measuring in at 6′.5″. That is a huge attribute that teams look at, especially in a draft where the top prospects like Vernon Hargreaves and McKenzie Alexander are hovering about two inches below that mark. Height is a huge thing in a league full of people trying to copy the Seattle Seahawks, and Jackson has it.
Second of all, he ran blisteringly fast for his size hitting a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash. While the 40-yard dash is largely irrelevant to positions like OL, DL, QB, K, etc. it is very important for wide receivers and defensive backs.
It helps him a lot that the wide receiver class as a whole was slower than they have been in the last six years, and that he is not only bigger than the other cornerbacks he is competing with, but faster.
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Finally, he looked very smooth in drills and showed that while he is great at pass disruption he can also make plays with the ball in the air. Again, this is a trait that will separate him from Mackenzie Alexander who (despite allowing 0 touchdowns in his career) is being dropped down boards for never recording an interception in college.
Honestly, this is one of a handful of guys that the Titans should target in the second round, or maybe even consider trading up for. He has all the potential to be a number one cornerback in this league with the right coach and in the right system, and the Titans fit the description.