Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Bills really liked University of Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson.
While speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine in February, Jackson said he had met with the Bills eight times already, including the formal interview at the Combine. As it turned out, Jackson would also be one of 30 prospects the Bills were allowed to bring in for a pre-draft visit.
There is plenty to like about the Texarkana, Texas native. Jackson was an All-American in high school, a four-star prospect and rated as the seventh-best defensive linemen in his recruiting year.
Jackson originally committed to Louisiana State University, but in his freshman year in Baton Rouge, he played in only five games and his game action was solely on special teams.
The 6-foot-6, 264-pounder then transferred to Arkansas, where his career took off. Jackson was named a First-Team All-SEC member in 2023, and a Second-Team All-Conference player last season.
In three years with the Razorbacks, Jackson totaled 116 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, five pass break ups and a couple of forced fumbles.
Jackson is very athletic and long, with 33 3/4-inch arms. Those are two attributes the Bills value in their defensive linemen.
A two-time team captain at Arkansas, Bills general manager Brandon Beane called Jackson a high character guy with strong football smarts, instincts and awareness. Beane added Jackson has everything the Bills want in the DNA of a defensive lineman.
At the NFL Combine, Jackson mentioned that he added about 40 pounds over his time at Arkansas, but dropped a lot of weight in preparation for the Combine and an NFL career. He ran a 4.68 40-yard dash and had a 40.5-inch vertical jump.
Jackson has Alopecia, which is a condition that causes hair loss. He has been a voice for the Alopecia community, and says he will continue to do that with his NFL platform.
Related
Here is what Joe Marino from the "Locked On Bills" and "Locked on NFL Scouting" podcasts had to say about Prather:
Positives:
Landon Jackson is a really clean, stylistic fit to what the Bills traditionally prefer from their defensive ends.
He's got length, he's got hand power, he's got a lot of hand moves. He's got the play strength to really shave rush angles, and I think he's got a very good finishing burst, really good contact balance. He knows how to play through the edges of blocks.
The hands are sudden, they're violent, and that enables him to take early control of reps. I think he's got good rush variety and a very strong inside rip move.
I like that he's a very self-aware player. He knows that he's not the type of player that's going to win with pure speed and bend off the edge, and he doesn't try to win that way. He's really leaned into the power components of being a rusher, and I think that allows him to be the best version of himself in addition to providing a high-end rush defense profile.
Concerns:
It's just that he's got some tight hips. He's not super bendy or flexible. When you talk about cornering and really flattening and turning steep angles, that's not going to be his game. I think it's more important to be able to play through contact then be able to run around, and I think he mitigates that with his power components.
He's a bit of a high-cut player, meaning his hips are high, and that leads to some natural built-in challenges with playing with good leverage. He has to be very careful to keep his pads low. That way he's not robbing himself at functional strength whether that's rushing the passer or defending the run.
All Bills rookies will be in town for a minicamp May 9-11.