Malik Jackson

Jackson was a top 50 defensive line recruit out of high school and chose to attend Southern California over several other West Coast programs. He played sparingly as a true freshman backup end, recording 4.0 tackles, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble. Jackson was again a backup in 2009 as a sophomore in what turned out to be his final season for the Trojans, collecting 18 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. In the summer of 2010, he opted to transfer to Tennessee, becoming the second Southern Cal player to take advantage of NCAA-instituted bylaws allowing USC juniors and seniors to transfer to another FBS-level program without sitting out a year, claiming "needing a fresh start" as his reason. Despite only a few months in Knoxville, Jackson earned a starting job as a junior in 2010, splitting time between end and tackle and earning Second Team All-SEC honors with 48 tackles, 5.0 sacks, four pass breakups and a team-best 11.0 tackles for loss. He returned in 2011 as a senior and started all 12 games at defensive tackle, collecting a career-high 56 tackles and led the team in both sacks (2.5) and tackles for loss (11.0) and earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Jackson is a highly-cut athlete with a versatile skill-set and saw time inside and outside in college, but looks more natural as an end. He played 95 percent of his snaps at tackle for the Volunteers, which limited his effectiveness and production playing out of position. Jackson is an upright defender who relies too much on his upper body and needs to develop his lower-body strength to reach his potential. Despite his lack of flexibility, he has the quickness and skill-set to be an effective lineman, but he needs to improve his leverage off the snap in order to be effective at the next level. Jackson showed steady improvement over his career and his best football looks to be ahead of him - Tennessee coaches rave about his ability.

strengths

Very good size and frame with a strong upper body and long arms. Very good quickness and agility for his size and is a naturally explosive player with good get-off speed. Jackson stays balanced through contact and keeps working to penetrate the pocket, playing with a good motor. He is stout at the point of attack and plays with good length and wrist/hand strength to secure tackles. Jackson has also shown the ability to rip the ball out of the grasp of ballcarriers with four career forced fumbles. Improved awareness and footwork to drop in space when needed. Versatile skill-set to play multiple positions on the defensive line and has experience playing inside and outside.

nfl comparison

Tim Crowder, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

weaknesses

Plays too tall and allows himself to get upright off the snap. Needs to do a better job with leverage to win at the line of scrimmage, relying too much on his upper-body strength. Lean lower body and needs to improve his strength in his legs and thighs. Suspect body flexibility and tight hips. Not a natural bender and lacks fluid change of direction ability. Plays with inconsistent pad level and is often knocked backwards off the snap. Only average career production at the college level (13.0 career sacks). Still a bit raw in his development and needs to eliminate senseless penalties. Looks fatigued at times, struggling to finish plays, and conditioning might be an issue.

Extremely physical, hard-hitting defensive back

three-year letterwinner and two-year starter at Dunwoody High School

logged 93 tackles, including 65 solo stops, two tackles for loss and four forced fumbles as a senior when he earned All-Region and second-team All-County honors

clocked at 4.45 in the 40.

His 2007 honors included Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West Best of the Rest, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-L.A. City Co-Defensive MVP (with his twin, Marquis), Los Angeles Times All-Star, Los Angeles Daily News All-Area Co-Defensive MVP (with his twin, Marquis) and All-West Valley League Co-Defensive MVP (with his twin, Marquis) as a senior defensive lineman at Birmingham High in Van Nuys (Calif.). He had 103 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery in 2007. As a junior in 2006, he made All-L.A. City first team and Daily News All-Area second team while getting 10.5 sacks. Current Trojan De'Von Flournoy also prepped at Birmingham.

Son of Romona and Anthony Jackson

born 6/10/85

Sports Administration major.

Twin brother, Marquis, is a defensive end at Texas Southern.