New York Giants Draft Prospect: CB Khyree Jackson

The Giants will likely add to their cornerback room. How might Khyree Jackson fit in as a prospect?

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Jan 24, 2024 10:00 AM EST

In this story:

Oregon Ducks

New York Giants

Khyree Jackson, CB

Height: 6’3
Weight: 195 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Oregon
Statistics

A former four star recruit out of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where he attended Dr. Henry Wise High School. Jackson initially attended Fort Scott Community College in 2019 before he became the number one overall JUCO player, according to ESPN. He was the number two recruit out of Maryland, and the number one corner recruit during the 2021 draft cycle.

After his stint at FSCC, he transferred to the University of Alabama and played two years for Nick Saban. He only played 83 defensive snaps through two seasons in Tuscaloosa. Jackson transferred to Oregon as a three-star; he was the 36th CB and the 200th overall recruit when he transferred before the 2023 season. He played well with the Ducks.

Jackson had one more year of eligibility that he did not use, and he also opted out of the Fiesta Bowl. Jackson will be in attendance at the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Strengths

Elite length on a wiry frame with thin extremities
Solid overall athlete with good acceleration and burst
Explosive jumps make him difficult in contested catch situations
Fluid for his size, but still sub-average
Long-strider that assists his recovery speed
Upside to be good in press

Needs a lot of refinement/work

Played a variety of off, soft, and press coverage
Very good mental processing

Understands leverage and space

Solid speed out of break on slants
Insane length advantage at catch point - dangerous vs. slants
Ball location and tracking are excellent down the field
Gets head around on deep balls on vertical plane

(Q1 5:36 ASU)
(Q1 1:23 Colorado)
(Q1 5:21 Hawaii)

Excellent disruption skills at the catch point when in phase

Timing, pop, location all very good

Difficult and annoying at the catch point
Impressive ability to position himself to intercept passes

However, he only had two interceptions in college

Good zone cornerback with excellent eye-discipline
Can sufficiently play man coverage, but has to maintain overall discipline
Understands route concepts
Deconstructed and shed blocks well
Very good tackling CB with solid pop
Isn’t scared to throw his weight around in the run game
Length is a huge asset in the run game

View more draft prospect scouting profiles.

Weaknesses

Lack of fluidity will hinder upside
May struggle with shifty WRs or deep speed
High hips lead to longer deceleration
Must rely on discipline to not get his feet/hips tangled in man coverage
Prematurely transitions can get him in trouble against WRs who disguise their stem well
Line of scrimmage skills in press need work
Footwork in press is a mess
Wish he jammed more when in press
Tended to get grabby out of breaks
One year wonder - only had two picks and eight PBUs in college

Summary

Khyree Jackson is a long disruptive cornerback who is good in run support with solid mental processing in zone. He does not have a ton of playing experience; his footwork, jam, and discernment on committing his hips still need work. Still, he’s an explosive jumper who is excellent at defending deep passes on the vertical plane.

He is a solid overall athlete with high-hips that hurt his overall fluidity. A good coach who can develop his press technique would raise his ceiling significantly. As of right now, he’s an upside selection with some limiting factors and is technically raw, which can be coached up. A zone-heavy system that uses press bail could be a solid landing spot for Jackson.

GRADE: 6.0D