UH's William Jackson gives NFL scouts a lot to likeBy Aaron Wilson Houston Chronicle April 18, 2016 
The clicker hits pause moments after a veteran NFL scouting director watches video of University of Houston cornerback William Jackson III adeptly shadowing wide receivers and delivering punishing tackles.He's seen enough proof. He's sold on Jackson's athleticism, football temperament, size, instincts and knowledge of the game."Jackson can flat-out play; I like him a lot," the NFL executive told the Chronicle on condition of anonymity. "The way he high-points the football and jumps over people and his tackling are all big-time. I was surprised Florida State kept throwing at him in the bowl game. That was obviously a mistake. When you watch the Temple and Vanderbilt games, you see him break on the ball really clean and fast. He reads quarterbacks' eyes very well."I like his recovery speed. I'd like to see him get a little bigger and stronger, but that will happen with time. What I see is a long, fast corner who could easily go in the first round and play in our league a long time. I definitely feel like his best football is ahead of him."Jackson hopes to complete a meteoric rise from relative obscurity as a former junior college transfer to one of the top cornerbacks in the draft since validating his speed with a 4.37 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in February. Jackson is expected to be the first senior cornerback drafted.Jackson, who played at Wheatley High School, has visited the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins. He's also worked out privately for the Chicago Bears."Of course, I feel like I'm the best corner in the draft," Jackson said. "It's taken time for people to catch up on what I can do, but it's all happening now. NFL teams know what I can do."At 6 feet and 3/8 inch, and 190 pounds, Jackson has a lean, muscular frame with the potential to gain more weight. He has a passion for press coverage and led the nation last season with 28 passes defended, including five interceptions with two returned for touchdowns."I have great ball skills, so I feel I can match with any tall receiver on the outside," Jackson said. "I'm a tall corner. I can match up with any big receiver on the outside. I'm a press corner. I feel like that's my strength."I've got great cover skills. I don't like to brag on myself, but I feel like I'm a great ballplayer."Measuring upJackson utilizes his 91/4-inch hands to full advantage to jam wide receivers in the chest or snare errant passes. His 313/4-inch arms make him appear taller than his listed height."He has ideal size for the position," said NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. "In press coverage, he flashes the ability to re-route at the line of scrimmage, and he has the speed to carry vertical routes. He's a little rigid when he flips and opens up but is quick to recover in off coverage. He has some pop out of his plant-drive and plays with excellent awareness."He has very natural ball skills and he plays big down the field. He is a physical run defender with a high batting average tackling in space. Overall, Jackson has all of the necessary tools to be a reliable starting cornerback early in his NFL career."One scout was complimentary of Jackson but didn't gush. He considers Jackson talented but a tad raw and in need of more polish."Solid player, has a lot of potential," the scout said. "Needs work in off coverage. I don't think he's a plug and play guy."Jackson intercepted seven passes in two seasons for the Cougars after transferring from Trinity Valley Junior College. He was an instrumental part of a 13-1 squad that finished the season ranked eighth nationally."Jackson's an athletic kid," said draft analyst Russ Lande, a former scout for the Rams and Browns who's now the director of college scouting for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. "Once the first couple of corners go off the board, he's among the guys like Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech) and Eli Apple (Ohio State) where they could all go in a bunch from 20th to 50th. It's a tough draft to be a corner because there are so many good ones. Jackson's a good football player. He's got all the tools."Florida State tried to target Jackson in the Peach Bowl, but he was named the game's defensive MVP with 10 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups. He had seven pass breakups in the American Athletic Conference championship game."William's long and his wingspan allows him to be very physical in press coverage," UH coach Tom Herman said. "He probably needs to put on 10 pounds of muscle, but he's not shy about throwing his body around. He's a very aggressive, competitive dude. He can catch the ball well. He's very good mentally at refocusing. He's a really good kid. Once he learns a new technique or assignment, he doesn't bust it."I've heard a lot of good things from NFL people about his size and length and ability. He's got a knack. He's got great instincts. The only downside is he's a hair thin, but he'll gain weight."It's Jackson's determined personality that scouts praise along with his package of imposing height and the speed to disrupt passing lanes."You can see he takes it personally whenever they catch the ball on him," Lande said. "When he tackles a guy, if he gets dragged a little, that gets under his skin. You want guys who get a little upset because that means he cares. He's got a lot of the traits you want. There's not much to dislike about the kid."A steal for Steelers?The Pittsburgh Steelers had a heavy presence at the Cougars' pro day, with coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Kevin Colbert and secondary coach Carnell Lake having dinner with Jackson the night before. Although Colbert declined to comment on Jackson's performance, which included a 4.32 in the pro agility drill and a 6.86 in the three-cone drill, the Steelers gave Jackson strong feedback. The Steelers draft 25th overall and are frequently linked to Jackson in mock drafts, but that isn't regarded necessarily the ceiling of his draft status."Jackson can cover anyone in our league," said Minnesota Vikings secondary coach Jerry Gray, a former University of Texas All-American and four-time Pro Bowl cornerback. "You see him against good teams, especially Florida State, and you can see how his confidence grew and how he can make plays."Jackson overcame academic issues in high school through the influence of his father, William Jackson Jr. Jackson attended junior college in Athens before starring for the Cougars."I'm hungry for sure," Jackson said. "I want this so much. I can't wait. I want to prove myself at the highest level."
