McKinnley Jackson

Bengals selected Texas A&M DT McKinnley Jackson with the No. 97 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jackson (6'2/326) came out of the gate hot with the Aggies, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team. He would be accurately described as a heavy player, both in build (92nd percentile weight) and play. He carries most of his frame in his lower half, making him hard to move if he anchors down. Jackson has a surprisingly quick get-off on occasion, and uses it to surprise blockers and overpower them. His hands also come with some power behind them as blockers are often punched backwards, but Jackson must work on keeping his feet active. Too often, his first step is rendered ineffective by blockers because his feet stop when trying to push the blocker. Jackson plays with misguided enthusiasm, running himself out of the play from time to time. Nevertheless, body leverage is one of the strengths to his game that he can lean on while he develops consistency in his hand leverage. Jackson can rotate in on pass-rushing downs as an active NT that can be relied upon to move the quarterback off his spot.