How did that happen? Well, an injury to Josh Simmons forced Ohio State to move Jackson to the outside, and not only held his own, but played a pivotal role in the Buckeyes winning their first national championship in a decade.
Due to the versatility that Jackson displayed throughout his final season in Columbus, his NFL Draft stock has skyrocketed, and now, he may find himself flying off the board in the first round.
“So when my number was called to play tackle, I went into it with the best mentality I could,” Jackson told reporters. “If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability, showing off my versatility a little bit, showing that I can play anywhere on the line so I’m grateful for the experience.”
When asked about what position he would prefer to play on the professional level, Jackson merely said “offensive line,” indicating that he would be comfortable playing either guard or tackle.
Surely, whichever team drafts Jackson will be initially selecting him as a guard, but now, all 32 NFL squads know that the 22-year-old can play multiple positions.
Jackson added that going up against Ohio State’s edge rushers—which featured Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau—in practice helped him.
We’ll see where the Cypress, Tx. native finds himself landing this April.