Adoree Jackson - USC

Position: CB

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 186

Year: Junior

Hometown: Belleville, IL

Experience: Two-Year Starter

Measurables:

40yd dash:4.42s

Broad jump: 122 in.

Vertical: 36 in.

3-cone: DNP

20yd. Shuttle: DNP

Bench Press: DNP

Career Notes:

Jackson was a jack-of-all trades as a first-year player at USC and gave the Trojans snaps at receiver, cornerback, and returner. From his first year, his focus has been defense. In 2014, the freshman started 10 of his 13 games at USC at corner, as opposed to only one start at receiver. In the kickoff return game, his freshman year was his most explosive year, averaging nearly 30 yards per return.

He followed up an impressive freshman campaign with two years of starts at corner, still staying involved at receiver. In 2016, he batted down 11 passes and picked off 5, even notching a forced fumble on the way. He also maintained proficiency in the return game, again nearly averaging 30 yards per kickoff return, and adding two returns for touchdowns. In his career, he has 8 total returns for touchdowns.

For his efforts in 2016, he was recognized with the Jim Thorpe award for outstanding secondary play, presented by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Jackson has shown himself to be both high-character and resilient. Even after declaring for the draft, he continues to attend classes because he prioritizes education. As the son of a woman who survived breast cancer, he showed that whatever is happening off the field won’t affect his performance on the field.

Injury Report:

He suffered a high-ankle injury on a slick Rose Bowl Field in January and did not return to the game after coming back out to the sidelines. He was seen running on the sideline of that game, and his combine performance suggests the injury was no big deal.

Career Stats(click here): 

Analysis:

Man Coverage 2.5/5.0: For as fast and as quick as he is, Jackson has quite a ways to go in consistently manning receivers up. There are multiple instances in which he fell over while turning his hips on vertical routes and falling over, giving up touchdowns. He also gave up quite a few catches as a result of reacting too late to breaks in routes. He has a high ceiling with his speed and flexibility, but for now it would be tough to trust him against NFL talent.

Zone Coverage 3.5/5.0: Jackson’s ability to read where plays are going can be questioned as he often finds himself just slightly out of position. He has a tendency to over-commit to where he expects routes to go, and he isn’t right often enough to be confident that he knows exactly what’s going on when trying to read plays before the snap. His anticipation is impressive when quarterbacks do look his way, and he plays the ball over the receiver, sometimes to his detriment.

Against the Run 2.5/5.0: With a lighter frame and questionable pursuit angles, he probably will not be a huge factor in run defense. He makes enough tackles to not be a liability, but he is not an advantage in run defense by any stretch of the imagination.

Speed/Quickness 4.5/5.0: Athleticism is where Jackson shines. At a 4.42 40-yard time, he can obviously run with just about anybody he’ll face. In instances where he over-commits, his speed gives him the ability to recover and help make tackles.

Impact Play Ability 4.0/5.0: Jackson is a ball-first defender and he shadows receivers on deep balls as though he were one himself (probably because he ran snaps at receiver so often). Of course, his ability to make an impact in the return game is always a perk on top of interceptions.

Summary: Jackson is an athletic player with a variety of skills that will excite creative coaches. While he is still raw in his technique and needs to improve his judgment in reading offenses, his skill set will make him difficult to pass up as corners come off the board. At the very least, he is a talent in the return game and will likely make a name for himself as a return specialist.

Overall Grade: 3.4/5.0

If Drafted by the Packers:

The second round may be a bit high for a corner who is so raw, especially for a secondary that needs players proven in coverage, but Jackson will probably be off the board before Day 2 of the draft is over. In the third round, he is a good value considering his athleticism, his flashes of technique in his interceptions, and his dangerous return game. He will have to put on weight because his height will already raise questions about his capacity to play on the outside, but if he can turn his speed into technique, he could be a reliable starter in a few years.

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