Darrell Jackson Jr.: FSU star eyed for top 100 in 2026 NFL Draft

The Florida State Seminoles have faced considerable challenges since their Week 1 victory over Alabama. They've secured only two conference wins, failing to overcome every formidable conference adversary on their schedule. Head coach Mike Norvell is experiencing criticism, the program is in a state of uncertainty, and Florida State has performed below expectations offensively and defensively.

That's not Darrell Jackson Jr.'s burden to bear.

As his college tenure winds down, it's prudent to track the NFL Draft potential for 2026 of Florida State's premier defensive tackle, who may well be the most talented player on the Seminoles' squad.

Darrell Jackson Jr. Secures victory through his physical approach

Jackson jumps off the screen with a 6'4", 337-pound frame that is essentially a scouting report in itself. Despite usage at multiple alignments at FSU, Jackson is firmly a nose tackle prospect, and his best reps are a testament to his size.

As a pass rusher, Jackson offers a legitimate bull rush that can push the pocket and beat centers one-on-one, making life easier for his edge rushers. He can overwhelm linemen with flashes of burst, and there might be enough juice to rack up a few more sacks than his win rates would suggest at the next level.

Jackson excels at disrupting plays at the line, effectively utilizes his reach when tackling, and demonstrates good pursuit speed for his size.

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Still, he'll make most of his money on early downs at the next level.

Jackson's build necessitates double-team blocking in run defense. He has the potential to disrupt plays when opportunities arise, leading to more frequent appearances in the box score than a typical nose tackle. His hand technique is most effective against the run, enabling him to disengage from blocks efficiently and penetrate on one-gap responsibilities when controlling the B-gap. His capacity to direct his bulk toward the most vulnerable area of combination blocks makes him a formidable opponent against zone runs and represents his most direct route to a higher performance ceiling.

What must Jackson do better?

Jackson could play on Sundays, but certain challenges hinder his rookie year output. Primarily, he relies on power over finesse. This isn't a career-ender, particularly given his size and explosiveness. However, the tighter margins in the professional game make those dominant plays less frequent, drawing scrutiny to his hand application.

As a pass rusher, I haven't seen much to suggest he'll break the mold of his position, likely limiting his playing time.

While he doesn't show these flashes all the time Darrell Jackson Jr. (#6) Has power and can make plays in the run game like this: pic.twitter.com/eLxEzPN0Cp

— Brian Maafi (@BmaafiNFL) June 15, 2025

On those early downs, Jackson is far more reliable. Still, he can lose leverage, partly due to both his height and inconsistent acceleration. He can lose his anchor against double teams and get displaced more than similarly sized linemen. Physically, Jackson has a strong base but tends to bend high, perhaps leaving extra power on the table. I'm not sure that he's fully optimized in either facet of his game, which adds some uncertainty to his profile despite entering the draft as a redshirt senior.

Jackson's NFL projection

Jackson, to his credit, is experiencing his most successful season during his platform year. He stands out as the top player on this Florida State defense. However, it's common to view a player who relies on physicality with some skepticism when they've had an additional year or two for development. A freshman excelling through strength presents a different scenario than a 22-year-old doing so.

Despite this, Jackson is producing strong performances against top-tier opponents on his schedule. The Seminoles likely wouldn't have defeated Alabama as decisively without his contributions, and he demonstrated solid play against the NFL-caliber players on Miami's offensive front. These are both significant showings that provide grounds for optimism regarding his development.

Jackson's strengths lie in his role as a nose tackle, offering some flexibility inside and a talent for excelling in tight spaces. His ability to locate the ball and make impactful plays suggests he might exceed expectations based on his draft position. 

He looks the part of a fringe-top-100 prospect and carries a fourth-round grade on my board. Jackson clearly has NFL-level traits and measurements. Developing his technique will be important in exceeding my expectations as a fringe starter with a relatively narrow range of outcomes. 

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