Florida State guru gives Jets fans inside look on pressure-tested Darrell Jackson Jr.

To kick off Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Jets utilized the first of three fourth-round picks to select Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.

Jackson, a redshirt senior, started his career with the Maryland Terrapins in 2021, before transferring to the Miami Hurricanes in 2023, and finishing up the rest of his college eligibility with the Florida State Seminoles.

The defensive tackle was Pro Football Focus's 141st highest-graded interior lineman in college football last season, ranked out of 887 qualified players.

Jackson only recorded one sack for the Seminoles last season, but his real strength lies in stopping the run.

What is Darrell Jackson Jr. bringing to the Jets?

According to FanSided's draft expert, Mike Luciano, the Jets are getting an enormous human being that has starter upside if he can develop.

"Jackson is almost stereotypical in how he can be evaluated. He is not a very mobile athlete, and there is reason to be concerned about his lack of pass rush upside, but at 6-foot-6 and well over 315 pounds, he has immense power that he can use to physically overwhelm opposing offensive linemen. His run-stuffing and gap-plugging is exceptional, and even becoming a below-average pass-rusher gives him starter upside as a nose tackler in 3-4 schemes"

Mike Luciano

PFF backs up Luciano's analysis of his "exceptional" run-stuffing ability. The grading service gave Jackson an 81.3 run defense mark, ranked 65th among all interior defensive linemen. At minimum, he'll be able to provide that early on in New York.

It's his pass-rushing ability that will need the most work. Jackson graded out with a 58.5 in a pass rush grade, 589th among 887 players.

Regardless, it was a proactive draft pick from the Jets. Their interior defensive line needed at least one more new face, considering the in-house options.

The Jets have two younger players on their defensive line in Jowon Briggs and T'Vondre Sweat, but they also have some age as well.

Harrison Phillips and free agent addition David Onyemata are both 30 or older and won't be around forever. Adding Jackson into the mix gives New York an insurance option in case of injury, and a ball of clay to mold as he develops into a pro.

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