New York Jets met with USC tackle Austin Jackson after impressive NFL Combine
Offensive line was an area of focus at the NFL Combine for the New York Jets. One of the top offensive tackles on the draft board met with the team last week as they look to address issues from a year ago along the line.
At the NFL Combine last week, the Jets had a meeting with USC tackle Austin Jackson, per a source. According to the source, the interview with the Jets was a formal one.
The interest in Jackson lines up with the Jets need to add some quality to their offensive line, likely in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. The Jets currently hold the No. 11 pick in the first round.
Jackson certainly raised some eyebrows with a strong showing at Lucas Oil Stadium last week. Measuring in at 6-feet-5-inches and 322 pounds, Jackson ran an impressive 5.07 time in the 40. He was solid in the bench press with 27 repetitions and had a 3-cone time of 7.95 seconds.
He was a multi-year starter at USC with 26 starts, including winning the starting left tackle job as a sophomore.
The Jets had one of the statistically worst offensive lines in the NFL last year. In all likelihood, they will need to add three if not four starters via free agency and the draft.
Adding Jackson would be an interesting move, given that he was a college teammate of current Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Ensuring that Darnold remains upright in the pocket and away from injury is a key focus of the Jets offseason. Darnold after all is the franchise quarterback and a building block of the team moving forward.
Last year, Darnold was among the most hit quarterbacks in the NFL on a per-game basis.
Last week, SportsIllustrated.com reported that the Jets met with interior offensive linemen Cesar Ruiz (Michigan) and Jonah Jackson (Ohio State) as well as Matthew Hennessy (Temple).
