FSU has one of the longest active streaks of having a player selected in the NFL Draft. FSU has one sure-fire guy who’ll get drafted. The biggest question is when, and that’s former FSU defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.
Jackson was solid at FSU over the past two seasons and helped his stock with some impressive footage at the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl. Most NFL Draft projections have him getting selected somewhere in the third round or in the first 100 picks.
The salary profile for players selected in that range is a signing bonus of at least 1.1 million and a four-year contract worth about 6.1 million.
However, let's say Jackson goes into the NFL Combine and puts up some crazy numbers in a few of the events that are important for defensive tackles. The 10-second split, broad jump, vertical, 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle.
If Jackson can put up numbers that impress one team enough to have him selected in the top 70, that would equate to about one million more dollars. That’s the difference between the No. 100 and No. 70 pick overall.
Some projections have Darrell Jackson Jr. going around No. 80-81. However, several teams have shown big interest in the defensive tackle with elite physical traits. The knock on him is a lack of explosiveness after his first step and a lack of pass rush, though he’s excellent against the run and eating up space. His 10-second split and shuttle time will likely be under the microscope with NFL scouts in attendance.