Former Florida State player could take same winding path in NFL that he took at FSU

Former Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. is used to being patient and waiting for his opportunity. That’s what he had to do after transferring from Miami to Florida State before the 2023 season.

Jackson transferred to Florida State but had to sit out the entire 2023 regular season due to a denied hardship waiver request. Jackson couldn’t participate in any games until FSU reached the postseason, and he played in the Orange Bowl against Georgia.

Jackson used that time to improve his craft, get in better shape, and become a starter for the next two years at Florida State. Jackson went on to become one of the standout defensive tackles in the ACC and eventually got selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the NY Jets last month.

It sounds like history could repeat itself with Jackson having to wait to play in New York:

The NY Jets hope they got a value pick towards their future on the defensive side of the ball.

The move makes sense in some ways. The Jets drafted him in the fourth round so it's not a huge amount of money towards the pick. It will give them a chance to assess Jackson in camp and determine how much they believe he can contribute. Jackson turned 23 years old a few weeks ago, so he's not exactly old.

However, it is ironic that history could repeat itself in the same manner it did at Florida State. Jackson made the most of his opporutunities at FSU. He easily could have mailed it in the year he had to sit out, but that wasn't the case by all reports. Jackson is hardworker, and I anticipate he'll follow the same blueprint he did at Florida State.

He's limited athletically, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him carve out a role in that defense sooner than later. He's a massive human, people like him isn't the norm.

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