Why the Rams could put in a claim for Drake Jackson

The Detroit Lions recently waived center Drake Jackson, an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky who many were surprised didn’t get selected and that’s probably why he was one of the first players to sign directly following the draft.

Per ukathletics.com, Jackson appeared in 47 career games with 44 consecutive starts at center. He was also a team captain in 2020, which we know coach Sean McVay puts stock in for players coming out of college. Jackson graded at 85.7 percent with 40 knockdowns and 188 blocks at the point of attack, so why did he go undrafted?

Kentucky Sport Radio gave three reasons why they speculated he fell out of the draft: lack of size, lack of position versatility, abundance of better center prospects. Jackson has only ever played center and has never been tested in a game at guard. Jackson is listed at 6’2 and 293 lbs, putting him below the 300 lb mark.

Jackson is a player who some people thought the LA Rams would target on day three of the NFL draft. With the Rams recently putting in a waiver claim for center Lamont Gaillard, we know that Les Snead and McVay have their eyes and ears open for any new talent that they can add to the competition and depth. We know how McVay likes to hold onto offensive line players and develop them, so Jackson could be a nice addition to hold onto and develop for a potential starting center job in the future.

Here’s Jackson at the Senior Bowl in January, another place where Snead tends to direct his attention:

Should the Rams sacrifice one of their own to make a release and add another center prospect to the mix? Or do you think an undrafted player who didn’t make it to the preseason with the Lions isn’t quite worth the roster spot yet?