The NFL preseason is all about opportunity. While most established veterans are taking a few series to get sharp for the season, or not playing at all, younger guys are fighting for their careers. That was on display for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a talented rookie class fighting for spots on the roster.
One rookie who put together a great opening argument for himself in Week 1 of the preseason was linebacker Nick Jackson. The undrafted defender was recently praised by analyst Chad Reuter, who graded preseason Week 1 rookie performances. Jackson received an A for his work against the Tennessee Titans.
Linebacker Nick Jackson receives praise for his preseason performance with Bucs
Reuter explained how the linebacker went undrafted because of his size (6’0, 235 pounds) and underwhelming speed, but praised Jackson for the play recognition and play-making ability that he displayed on Saturday.
"Jackson recognized plays in a hurry, coming downhill or scraping down the line versus the run, bringing down a receiver screen for a loss and beating a running back's block for a sack. He chased down a screen pass after pushing aside veteran guard Andrew Rupcich and stuck with running backs and tight ends in coverage, making stops immediately. Jackson stayed blocked at times, but he kept his head in the game, intercepting a tipped pass with one hand while being challenged on a blitz."Chad Reuter (NFL.com)
Entering that game, Jackson was third on the depth chart at the right inside linebacker position behind Lavonte David and Deion Jones. He’s unlikely to move up the depth chart, and he certainly isn’t unseating David as the starter, however, he’s doing his part to make sure he remains on the roster moving forward, once it’s cut down to 53 players.
That process is just getting started, though. Jackson needs to keep his performance up throughout the rest of camp and in the last two preseason games. Additionally, he needs to be a factor on special teams, as that will ultimately be his path to a roster spot and playing time.
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