SI All-American Candidate Shambre Jackson Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Shambre Jackson
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-6, 260 pounds
Position: Defensive End
School: Orlando (Fla.) Boone
Committed to: Florida State
Projected Position: Defensive End or Defensive Tackle
Frame: Athletic with good-looking shoulders and long arms. Tight and flat torso with ideal thighs and lower-half.
Athleticism: Active across the defensive front. Can hunt with range in long pursuit, as well as surf and redirect to ball-carriers aiming for playside perimeter. Shows good quickness to close and finish. Has some ability to bend and contort to finish in tight space.
Instincts: Shows fair scheme-read ability at the snap and flashes some ability to reduce gap versus run. Flashes mesh-point vision and can punch and peak to backfield at the initial point of attack. Also can perform some train-wrecking when asked to attack upfield. Is willing to set an edge versus reach blocks. Will occasionally widen his initial vertical pass-rushing track.
Polish: Plays 0 and 4i in 4-0-4 fronts, left 5-technique DE in 4-man even fronts and also has been asked to stand up on the edge. Is very raw as a pass-rusher will allow himself to get washed past the launch point, though attempts to use a swim move, as well as a club-and-rip. Also needs to improve hand-placement accuracy and consistently maintain outside leverage when setting edge versus run.
Bottom Line: Jackson plays many snaps as an odd-front nose right now, though his skill set doesn’t project as an A-gap player in college. He’s long, quick at the snap, active and shows good closing quickness. There’s a chance Jackson could be an upfield, single-gap 3-technique in the making. He also may find himself a home as a traditional 5/7-technique defensive end in a 4-man front or a 5-technique defensive end in a base 3-man front.