Could Jackson Be X-Factor on Offensive Line?
He's a 2020 first-round pick who hasn't quite lived up to his draft status just yet, but is hoping things will change with the arrival of Mike McDaniel as head coach.
No, not that guy.
While this could apply to Tua Tagovailoa as well as Noah Igbinoghene, we're talking here about Austin Jackson, who looks like a potential wild card for the Dolphins offensive line in 2022.
Some Dolphins fans are ready to dismiss Jackson after his two uneven seasons in the NFL, but it certainly won't hurt to give him a shot in training camp with the hope that maybe both he and Tagovailoa — as well as Igbinoghene — can take a big step forward in season number 3.
Does that sound preposterous?
Maybe, but we once again take you back to Jackson's NFL.com scouting report prior to the 2020 NFL draft: "Early-entry tackle prospect who is raw but gifted and is likely to be coveted by a variety of teams, thanks to his true left tackle traits. Jackson has loads of athletic ability and play talent that is waiting to be developed and harvested. Inconsistent hand placement and footwork could be exploited early on if teams try and rush him into the starting lineup, but issues are correctable. He's scheme-diverse with potential guard flexibility if he improves his strength. He could become an early starter but may offer a wider split between floor and ceiling than some teams might like."
The words that really jump out there are "raw but gifted" and "waiting to be developed and harvested."
The suggestion, of course, is that Jackson likely was going to require some time before he reached his NFL potential.
Maybe this is the year. Maybe it won't happen.
What we do know is that Jackson won't make that big jump at left tackle because that spot is going to be occupied by veteran newcomer Terron Armstead. It's also not likely to happen at left guard, where Jackson finished the 2021 season, because fellow newcomer Connor Williams played that position in his four years at Dallas.
Jackson's Position of Choice
Besides Armstead and Williams, it sure appears from the outside at least, that Robert Hunt will hold down one starting spot, whether it be at right guard or right tackle.
Jackson made clear Wednesday what his preference would be.
“As you know, I played guard last year, as well as tackle," Jackson said. "Personally, I’m a tackle. I feel like I’m a tackle. I’m comfortable there. I’m also very comfortable playing guard. I really just want to be in whatever position I can be in to help my team at the end of the day.
“I’ve actually played right tackle. This isn’t the first time playing a new role for me. I played it in high school, I played it in college – actually collegiately, like starting at it. It’s not completely new for me, but at the end of the day, I have to make sure I’m 100 percent right in my techniques and my fundamentals because what our offense does is if you get the technique down and use that same technique, it’s supposed to be the same at every position. It’s allowing for people to be interchangeable. First things first, that’s what we’re locking in on in April.”
What's good for Jackson is that new offensive scheme brought in by new head coach Mike McDaniel puts an emphasis on athletic linemen.
“It aligns with a lot of my strengths, one of them being my athletic ability, of course," Jackson said. "Personally, I feel like I can play in any system. It definitely aligns to the strength of overall as a team. I’m really excited."
At this point, some five months before the start of the regular season, it's difficult to predict who will end up making up the starting Dolphins offensive line.
But Austin Jackson very well might be in the mix.
