Miami Hurricanes draft targets for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Joe Jackson, Defensive End

Deciding to forgo his senior season at The U after three super productive seasons under former defensive coordinator and now head coach Manny Diaz, Joe Jackson thrived in Diaz’s defense and his attacking style of play calling. Jackson came onto the scene strong as a true freshman and kept that going through his junior season, leaving Miami with 129 total tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks and two defensive touchdowns.

Jackson seemed to lose a bit of his quick twitch and straight-line speed while adding nearly 60 pounds to his frame since high school in order to bulk up to the playing size necessary at the next level. Jackson does an excellent job of being an open field tackler at the line of scrimmage and has great lateral movement and a very strong punch when going up against more athletic tackles and easily moves them out of position.

Jackson would benefit from dropping 15-20 pounds to regain the quickness he once had, which should allow him to become a more versatile player. Expect Jackson to be a day-two pick for a team that likes an even defensive front line, and could be a nice third round investment for Tampa Bay as they look to overhaul their defensive front.