Jackson could help plug big hole in Packers defense

By GERY WOELFEL
The vast majority of prospects in this year’s NFL draft have played football for the bulk of their lives, most beginning in grade school.
Not so with Darrell Jackson Jr.
Jackson, in fact, didn’t play any sports while growing up in Havana, Fla.
It wasn’t until his junior year in high school that Jackson decided to give football a try. He quickly discovered learning the game was akin to learning a foreign language.
Said Jackson: “I didn’t even know how to get into a stance.”
Nor did Jackson know he was about to undergo a radical body change. He transformed from a big person to a massive one.
“I was 190 pounds then,” Jackson said. “I didn’t know I would be 330 pounds now.”
And now the former Florida State defensive tackle is one of the more fascinating players in upcoming draft, which begins Thursday night and concludes Saturday.
Because of his late start in football, Jackson is far from a polished product. The opinions about Jackson among NFL scouts are mixed.
Some believe he’s a major project, one who is raw fundamentally and inconsistent on the field.
Others contend the 6-foot5 Jackson could join an NFL team and be a quick contributor, especially with his massive frame, exceptional wingspan of 7-foot-2 and run-stuffing abilities.
The latter attribute is one of the principal reasons the Green Bay Packers has done extensive pre-draft work on him. Thy need someone who can clog the middle of line.
The Packers formally interviewed Jackson in February at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. They were among a host of teams eager to get an up-close look at him.
“I had a great interview with them,” Jackson said, referring to the Packers.
Jackson is generally regarded as a second-to-third round pick. He believes he’ll hear in his name called in second and most of the teams he had formal interviews with at the Combine possess second-round picks.
That group includes the New York Jets (No. 44), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (46), Atlanta Falcons (48), Minnesota Vikings (49), Packers (52), Pittsburgh Steelers (53) and Detroit Lions (56).
Jackson, who had pitstops at Maryland and Miami before Florida State, said the one area he needs to work on is his pad level.
Otherwise, he feels extremely confident he can take the next big step in his football journey, adding, “I feel I can do it all.”