NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
DeSean Jackson, WR
by Sam Monson
28/2/2008
 
The 2008 draft class is not a stellar group at the wide receiver position, and part of that is due to some interesting prospects that don't tick all of the boxes that an NFL WR should. DeSean Jackson is one of those players.
 
DeSean Jackson declared for the draft after a great career at California, where he was a danger every time he touched the ball, whether from the wide receiver position, or in the return game.
 
Jackson was a celebrated recruit coming out of Long Beach Poly High School, the same school that gave the NFL Mercedes Lewis, Manuel Wright and Winston Justice. He was rated as the 4th best WR in the nation by ESPN's Tom Lemming, and the 3rd best player in the Golden State area by Rivals.com. He was also named MVP of the US Army All American Bowl, the same game that recently helped increase the hype for Terrell Pryor.
 
Jackson became the prize in a recruiting war that included USC, LSU, Florida, Florida St, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arizona State University. Jackson was close to joining USC before an eleventh hour meeting with California Bears Head Coach Jeff Tedford. That meeting convinced Jackson to enrol at Cal, and would begin a close relationship the two still share.
 
Whilst nobody doubts Jackson's playmaking skills, which have remained constant from High School all the way through his college career, the problem is that so has his size.
 
What we like about Jackson
 
Speed, suddenness, and playmaking skills. Jackson may not look like Randy Moss, but he can make plays every time he touches the ball. When Jackson weighed in at the combine as light as he did, it was important for him to show well in the drills, and above all, prove that he had elite speed. His official time of 4.35 in the 40 keeps him in the elite speed range. Jackson also has great hands and doesn't drop many passes. He is a quick-twitch athlete who has speed in all areas, not just a straight line. He shows the kind of moves that will keep him away from serious contact, and can make people miss in tight spaces. Scouts are very high on Jackson's agility and speed, he has truly elite athleticism, and will be a nightmare for defenders, even in the NFL, to keep bottled up if he's allowed off the line of scrimmage.
 
Question marks about Jackson
 
Size. Jackson was listed at 6' and 175lbs for the Cal Bears, but weighed in at the combine at only 5'9 and 165lbs. He gets compared to Steve Smith a lot, but Smith weighs about 20lbs more. Jackson has speed to burn, but NFL personnel have major question marks about his ability to deal with physical cornerbacks at the next level, and it might be necessary for teams to use him creatively if he proves he's not able to get off press coverage.
 
Highlight of his college career
 
As a sophomore, Jackson was a consensus All-American and unanimous All-Pac 10 Conference first-team choice on the way to capturing the inaugural Randy Moss Award as the top return man in the nation, leading the NCAA with 18.2 yards per punt return.
 
Other snippets

• Holds the school and Pac-10 Conference record with six punt returns for touchdowns, two shy of the NCAA all-time record of eight scores by Wes Welker of Texas Tech (2000-03)

• He likes animals

• For his career, he recorded 52 plays of 20 yards or more (23.0% of his 226 touches).

• He could be closely compared to NFL player Santana Moss

• Potential good fits: Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys.

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