NFL Draft Preview: WR Desean Jackson

College: University of California

Class: Junior

Height/Weight: 6'0", 179 lbs.

Projected pick: Mid-to-late first-round.

Strengths: The first thing that any scout will notice about Jackson is his tremendous foot speed; he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the scouting combine last week. His downfield receiving skills are top-notch, which will make him a large vertical threat in an NFL offense. While some "downfield" receivers struggle with short and intermediate routes and catches, Jackson has enough agility and quickness in his cuts to break away from defenders underneath coverage as well. He also can break tackles in the open-field and has a knack for finding open spaces to turn short passes into long gains. Jackson is stronger on-the-ball than most would assume, willing to make catches in traffic and out jump defensive backs if he needs to. An NFL team would find an immediate special teams impact with DeSean Jackson, who had 6 return touchdowns in his three years in Cal. Jackson is basically 2008's version of Ted Ginn, Jr. (picked #9 by Miami in 2007), but with better receiving skills and a little bit more size.

Weaknesses: While Jackson's speed is a deadly weapon, his small stature can be a bit of a weakness. Despite DJ's willingness to make tough catches, he sometimes just doesn't have the size to fight off bigger defenders and can be easily pushed off routes or jammed at the line, which takes away his speed factor. His size also affects his durability, as a thigh injury and thumb injury hindered him all of last season. He had numerous drops in his junior year, which could be attributed to the thumb injury or a lack of concentration. Mentally, Jackson sometimes tends to drop out of plays in which he isn't directly involved, and it seems his focus drifts at points. He lacks any downfield blocking skills at all, so he's most likely a #2 option in an NFL scheme at best.

Projected Teams:

14. Chicago Bears- There isn't much talk of Jackson being picked here, but he would be a tremendous fit in the Windy City. The Bears lost their biggest vertical threat with the departure of Bernard Berrian in free agency, and they also lost another starting receiver with Muhsin Muhammad rejoining the Panthers. While Rex Grossman may not exactly be the kind of quarterback to inspire great play from a speedster like Jackson, his arm is certainly strong enough to put the ball downfield and let Jackson fight for it. The Bears have no offensive philosophy to go on right now, and Jackson could be the beginning of open offensive sets in Chicago.

19. Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles haven't had a good receiver since TO ruined their team, so picking Jackson at 19 would come as no surprise to me. They also lack an impact return man, so Jackson could make his presence felt right away on special teams. Now that they are certain to bring back Donovan McNabb, getting him an actual playmaker could help him win back the support of that finicky Philadelphia fan base. Jackson could open up the underneath and middle routes for Kevin Curtis, providing a deadly one-two punch in Philly.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The Bucs need someone to replace the aging Joey Galloway, once a tremendous return specialist and deep threat himself. Grooming a replacement for Galloway that mirrors his own self ten years ago is a great idea, as Joey can be somewhat of a mentor and coach for Jackson during his development. Jackson could fill in nicely with the Bucs as a slot receiver/return man until Galloway is ready to retire, and then step into a starting role when that happens two or so years down the road.

22. Dallas Cowboys- With Terry Glenn nearing retirement, the Cowboys will need someone to play opposite TO a few seasons from now. While they just signed Patrick Crayton to a contract extension, having Jackson as an extra deep threat is never a bad idea. At worst, Jackson could be purely used for return duties and gadget plays (reverses, WR screens, etc.) for his rookie season, and then be implemented into the slot in the case of an injury or retirement.

Sources:
DeSean Jackson, ESPN.com
NFL Draft Order, Walter Football