The NFL Draft is three weeks away and Darrell Jackson is going to be drafted by one of the 32 teams in the league. That's a great accomplishment that shouldn't be ignored. Where the large defensive tackle ends up remains a point of contention.
Generally, Jackson has been projected to go between the 75th and 150th pick, placing him between the middle of the third round and the front end of the fifth round. Matt Miller's recent 7-round mock takes a lot of the pro days into account and the feedback received from those. FSU held its Pro Day on March 28 and, for the most part, it was all about Jackson. He didn't do any testing at the Pro Day, but he did do some position work for the many scouts in attendance.
Darrell Jackson Jr. (6) using his length & strength to throw the LT by and clothesline the RB. Canceling & squeezing gaps
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) March 30, 2026
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Darrell Jackson projected for the 49ers in Round 4 by ESPN
Miller has Jackson going with the 139th overall pick to San Francisco, which is at the end of the fourth round and within the projections, but on the back end of them. The general scouring report on Jackson is similar across the board. He looks amazing off the hoof. He's physically impressive and the recent work he's done to drop weight and transform his body is eye-catching. Jackson is long with a big wingspan and the ability to do damage on the inside.
Ability is the key word. Jackson's role in Tony White's 3-3-5 defense wasn't the best fit to showcase his talents. He had to take on a lot of double teams and did an admirable job, as evidenced by freeing up Mandrell Desir to be a Freshman All-American. His ability as an interior pass rusher is something that looks like it's there, but it didn't show up much on film and the team that takes him is hoping that a better scheme will get the most out of him.
Will we see any other FSU players selected in the draft?
Miller doesn't have any other Seminoles in his projection for the three-day event, which is highly disappointing. If there were two names to keep an eye on, maybe Jerry Wilson sneaks into the 6th or 7th round after he ran an unofficial 4.31 during Pro Day. And Micah Pettus transformed his body quite a bit and offensive tackles are always in demand. Could he sneak in the late rounds? It's possible.