Lawrence Jackson DE 6'5 265 USC Jr.

After redshirting a season for the Trojans, Lawrence Jackson got onto the field and was an immediate contributor during their title run in 2004. He had 32 tackles, 11 for loss, and six sacks earning freshman All American honors on the season. As a sophomore last year, Jackson upped each statistic, finishing the year with 46 tackles, 13 for loss, and 10 sacks on the season, earning 1st team All Pac 10 honors.

Jackson is a productive, all around end. He has had 16 sacks over the past two seasons, 10 of those coming last season when he was the focal point of the Trojan defense. He gets a quick burst off the line, and is quick changing directions to get past the tackle. Jackson also shows the closing speed to get to the ball carrier and bring him down. He’s not just a pass rusher though. Jackson shows the ability to hold his ground at the point of attack, get off the block and cut off running lanes.

There is really nothing about Jackson physically that truly stands out. He’s a solid athlete, has solid size, and has good speed, but none of it is really special. He may need to pack on more weight at the next level, because he is on the lean side, and will not be able to rely solely on his speed to get around lineman.

Lawrence Jackson is a very good defensive end prospect, but he is not an elite one. While nothing individually will jump out, what he does over the course of the game does. Jackson probably will not time well in the post season, but he gets it done on the field. He thought about declaring last year for the draft, so with another big season, chances are, he will put his name in this year.