Jha'Quan Jackson, WR Tulane: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Jackson was a three-star recruit from Hahnville High School in Boutte, La. in the class of 2019

If your team misses out on a field-stretching slot receiver early in the 2024 NFL Draft, Tulane’s Jha'Quan Jackson will be the go-to pick on day three. Jackson is a dynamic athlete with the speed to stack cornerbacks and the agility to create big plays in the return game.

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Jha'Quan Jackson, WR Tulane: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior slot receiver from Luling, La.

Background: Jackson was a three-star recruit from Hahnville High School in Boutte, La. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 1,306 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,199 for On3.com. Jackson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 74 grade out of 100. He originally committed to SMU before flipping to Tulane. As a high school junior, Jackson led Hahnville to a 6-0 record in 5A District 7 and a 12-3 overall record to make the 2017 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Non-Select Prep Classic Championship. Pro Football Hall of Fame safety and Baltimore Ravens legend Ed Reed is Jackson’s uncle. 

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a minor knee injury in 2017, offseason labrum surgery in 2021 caused him to miss spring practices, suffered a minor knee injury in 2021 preseason camp, exited 2023 Rice game with an injury

Awards: 2021 Fourth Team All-AAC (Phil Steele), 2022 Second Team All-AAC

Pros: Experience on the kick return and punt return units, legit return specialist, experience playing out wide and in the slot, burst off the line, good ankle and lower body flexibility, stop-start agility, excellent lateral agility, sudden and twitchy cuts or bounces, deceleration and reacceleration to lull and overtake slot defenders, speed to overtake and stack defenders in off-man coverage, off-man or zone defenders have to be on their toes at all times against him, impressive footwork to help execute sharp cuts, rapid feet, mixes route tempo at a high level, runs to space against zone, good feel for sitting or splitting zone coverage, nice whip route, turns into a return man after catching the ball, comfortable navigating through traffic, open field speed to break big plays, changes gears quickly, stresses and beats angles, uses blockers masterfully, vision, dead leg, elusiveness makes him difficult to tackle one-on-one, fewer schemed touches and more true routes in 2023

Cons: Small and lean frame, top gear is good but not game breaking, concerns about his frame against press coverage, not going to break many tackle attempts, schemed touches have limited route development, in and out routes drift downfield, needs to sink hips more at the top of his routes, routes are disrupted by contact, drops concerns have persisted, body catches, concentration drops, struggles to compete at the catch point for contested catches, arm length and catch radius, doesn’t maintain catches through contact, lacks ideal strength to stalk block

Overview: Jackson is an experienced kick and punt returner who offers upside as a special teams cornerstone. This creates a clear path for him to see the field as a rookie. On offense, Jackson has experience playing out wide and in the slot. He is a rare threat who can hurt defenses on screens just as much as he can hurt them by stretching the field. The redshirt senior has the speed to overtake and stack defenders in off-man coverage with his burst and acceleration off the line. He is a sudden and twitchy athlete with excellent stop-start agility and lateral agility. Jackson has a fluid lower body that pairs with his agility and twitch to execute cuts or bounces. His ability to decelerate and reacceleration causes defenders to slow down so he can blow by them. He mixes route tempo well to set up defensive backs for breaks. The former three-star recruit has rapid, impressive footwork to help execute sharp cuts. Jackson displays a good feel for sitting in holes against zone or splitting the coverage. He turns into a return man after catching the ball, using all of his jukes and elusiveness to create extra yards. Jackson is comfortable setting up his blockers and navigating through traffic the same way he does on the punt return unit. His vision pops. Jackson’s open field speed might fall short of elite, but it’s more than enough to break big plays. He changes gears quickly and stresses the defender’s angle. Unfortunately, his small and lean frame limits his ability to stalk block, break tackles, and combat press coverage. Mid-route contact throws off his progress, and he struggles to haul in catches through contact. Drops are a consistent concern since Jackson falls back on body catches and suffers from concentration drops. He also has a limited catch radius. The Louisiana native still needs to develop his route tree and definition. He drifts downfield on in and out routes and needs to sink his hips more at the top of the stem. Jackson benefits from schemed touches, but Tulane has given him more true downfield routes and fewer screens this year.

Overall, Jackson is a dynamic athlete who should contribute on special teams as a rookie, but he still needs to add some weight and expand his route tree to be a consistent contributor on offense. Offenses should consider scheming touches for Jackson in a rotational or gadget role early in his career.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Late Fourth to Mid Fifth

Size: 5'11", 185 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-30-23