A New York Jets rookie has changed his immediate football destiny.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on the “Jets Collective” podcast that rookie defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr has carved out a much larger role than he thought he would when he was drafted.
“A guy that we haven’t even talked about today, Darrell Jackson Jr, remember him, the fourth round pick? I think he will be in the rotation on the defensive line. When they first drafted him, I thought to myself, this guy is going to be inactive every week. Well, I don’t think so. I think he’s got a really good chance to be in what looks to be a pretty deep defensive line rotation,” Cimini explained on the podcast.
Shortly after the draft, Cimini came on the “Jets Collective” podcast on April 28 and said Jackson is expected to “redshirt” his rookie season.
“He goes [No.] 103, Scouts Incorporated had him as the 108th prospect, so probably right about the same. So I thought the value was there. At first glance, you’re saying another defensive tackle? Do they really need another defensive tackle? But look what’s on the horizon. Harrison Phillips and David Onyemata are on one-year deals, basically so they’re going to be free agents after this year. So I think this was a future pick. I do not think Darrell Jackson Jr will be playing a lot. He will probably be an inactive player for much of the year. It’s essentially a redshirt year for him,” Cimini said on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
Why the Change of Heart?
On the “Jets Collective” podcast, co-host Brandon Tierney asked Cimini whether Jackson is getting this expanded role because of injuries or because he flashed in training camp.
“No, I think he is going to get an opportunity. He is a big guy. I’m not saying he is going to play ahead of Harrison Phillips or David Onyemata or [Jowon] Briggs, but you know he will be out there, I think as some sort of rotational piece,” Cimini answered.
It’s a fair follow-up question. One of the biggest offseason additions, literally and figuratively, for the Jets was trading for 6-foot-4, 366-pound nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat.
However, during offseason training between mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp, Sweat injured his hamstring while working out on his own. At the start of camp, he was placed on the NFI [Non-Football-Injury or illness] list. He has yet to be removed from that list. Head coach Aaron Glenn said he won’t return to practice this week, but it shouldn’t be much longer after that.
Some More on Jackson From Camp
“Well, obviously, he’s a huge man, and that’s what I like when it comes to defensive linemen. He’s long, he’s got big hands, he’s able to disengage and make a play. He can play gap-and-a-half, which I like between the defensive tackles. So, the more reps that he gets, I think the more comfortable he will get. And it’s somewhat different to what he did in college, and the thing he’s doing has been very heady as far as, ‘I’m listening to everything that Coach (Karl) Dunbar is telling me. I’m understanding the defense, when I get a chance to go in and talk about the defense and my expectations of each position. He’s doing a really good job of understanding that and improving,” head coach Aaron Glenn said of Jackson after practice on Saturday, August 1.
Jackson is listed at 6-foot-5 and weighs 315 pounds.
“Rookie DT Darrell Jackson has flashed raw power. The more time Sweat misses, the more I wonder if the day 3 pick from FSU is going to play his way into the DL rotation. I thought he’d be a top 60-75 pick from his 2024 tape (summer scouting), but 2025 inconsistencies dropped him to pick 103. There is real talent there,” Connor Rogers of SNY posted.
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said he has his “eye” on Jackson during practice.
“He’s getting some valuable reps with T’Vondre Sweat out, and with his size (6-5, 315) he’s a highly intriguing player. First time it feels like the Jets have real depth on the DL, probably since they traded away JFM [John Franklin-Myers],” Rosenblatt posted on X.
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