I will be starting on a new series listing the Top 5 Mountain West Conference Prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft. Today we will be looking at Warren Jackson, a Receiver out of Colorado State, who is widely considered the top player in the whole conference. At 6’6″ and 215 lbs, he will be an intriguing NFL prospect if he has another good campaign in 2020. The film I watched to scout Warren Jackson was from 2019 vs. Colorado, vs. Boise State, and @ Wyoming.
Pros:
At first glance, the main thing that sticks out when watching Warren Jackson is his huge frame. At 6’6″ he is not only quick in short areas but when he gets his long strides at full speed he runs like a deer. Unlike some guys who have the size, Jackson actually understands how to use his body to give him an advantage. He does a great job at boxing out defenders, which makes his job of catching the ball easier, and he shows great body control when going up to high point a catch. He pairs quick feet and good handwork to help him get of the LOS and separate from defenders. Displays soft but strong hands which allow him to make contested catches in all different types of coverage. He also seems to have high football IQ and awareness as he does a great job creating lanes while blocking and finding soft spots in zone coverage.
Cons:
Jackson doesn’t have to many glaring weaknesses, but there are some areas of his game that he needs to improve before entering the 2021 NFL Draft. I would like to see him improve on his route running. He is good on slants, screens, and deep routes; however, he needs to plant his foot harder and have crisper breaks on his ins, outs, and drag routes as he is often rounding out at the top of his route. He also needs to work on coming back to the ball when running curl routes as waiting for the ball to come to him in the NFL could result in an easy pick six for a ball hawking DB. The only other weaknesses I have for Jackson is that he is occasionally a body catcher, and that he will give up or whiff on some blocks.
Bottom Line:
Overall, Warren Jackson has the makings to be a prototypical Red Zone Threat at the next level, but he could even develop to become more than that if he gets paired up with a better QB and coaching staff. He has the size, catching radius, hands, release, and blocking ability that you desire from your number X receiver, but he can also be effective lining up as a slot or Y receiver as well. He will need to work on his route running a bit more if he wants to perfect his game, but overall, he is a solid prospect that could sneak into the 2nd round.
