Vincent Jackson at the Combine

[jrandom42]

In his own words, from The Rocky Mountain News March 11, 2005

A Prospect's Diary: Training pays off with a successful showing at the combine
By Vincent Jackson, Special to the News
March 11, 2005

University of Northern Colorado receiver Vincent Jackson is on the clock. His countdown to the NFL draft started the day his senior season finished at Greeley. And as the Colorado Springs native prepares for the April 23-24 talent grab - he already has made stops in January at Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl and in February at Indianapolis for the league's scouting combine - he will keep a diary for the Rocky Mountain News of the places he goes, the people he sees.

Part 3: The big sigh

When (the combine) was over, I got on the plane and it was just like wooo, such a great feeling to come back here and know a weight was just lifted off your shoulders. It was the biggest test you're going to have before the draft.

I mean, this whole process is about the combine. And to go there and do well and be happy with my results, I was really excited when it was over.

Definitely a relief. Six weeks, eight weeks of training for something that didn't take more than a couple hours. It was definitely a big relief to get it done and I'm glad it turned out well.

I believe I convinced some people I can play wide receiver. Some of the scouts talked to my agent (Jonathan Feinsod) and asked, "Did you get him a receivers coach or something? Has he been working with a receivers coach because his routes are so good?"

[Note: Kay Dalton, the HC at UNC, was receivers coach for the Broncos, Bills, Oilers and Chiefs from 1974 to 1986]

We laugh about it a little now because before the workouts, some people thought I was too big to be a wide receiver, that I'd be a tight end or an H-back or something.

And I think some of those people even thought I'd go (to Indianapolis) and run a 4.7, a 4.8 (seconds in the 40-yard dash), something like that. But when I ran, the time I was shown was a hand-timed 4.46, 4.47, then electronically 4.49 and 4.50. I think they decided to average me out to 4.48.

I'm very pleased with that, definitely. I thought all along if I ran in the low 4.5s, because of my size, it would help me. So I just wanted to be around that area. I knew it would be good.

Outside of the workouts, I also met with a lot of teams, got in front of coaches, general managers. I think by the time it was done, there were only a couple of teams that I had not talked to.

And most of them, almost every team, said when they watch my film, as big as I am, that I just played fast. That was the biggest thing. (Kansas City Chiefs coach) Dick Vermeil told me that and a couple of other coaches told me that, too.

They were like, "We look at you on film and you don't look like you're 6-5, 240 pounds," which I think was probably the biggest compliment I got. Just to hear that from coaches - that they wouldn't think I was so big the way I control my body.

But I felt very comfortable. I've tried to prepare myself for all of that. The coaches were really nice and they just want to get to know you - your background - just have a conversation with them.

I was relaxed. I had a great time with it. A great time.

I think that's one of my biggest assets, my intelligence and my personality. Just to be able to sit down and talk to receivers coaches, talk about my experiences and my goals, my knowledge of the game. I think that really helps you.

They see how you play on the film, but they want to see what's underneath the helmet as well and (the interviews) helped me out, too, as well as testing out well.

I'm not enrolled in classes right now, so I have some free time over the next few weeks. My pro day here is coming up and it's just time to get prepared for the next step.

I've got to get my stuff ready to move out. To where, I don't know yet, but it's time to be ready for what comes next.

Results from Pro Day 3/32/05

Height 6' 4.5"
Weight 239 lbs
4.00 Short Shuttle
23 reps @225lbs

[-Dan_Bengals_FL-]

Sounds like a good player. Probably helped his stock out a lot. Prior to the combine I heard he was going in the 4th round. I doubt he makes it past the 2nd round now.

[Guest OSUBengal]

I'm a fan of trading down in the first and picking up an extra second.

Take Spencer in the first, Ernest Shazor and Vincent Jackson in the second, and Anthony Bryant in the 3rd.

[-Dan_Bengals_FL-]

[quote name='OSUBengal' date='Mar 25 2005, 07:50 PM']I'm a fan of trading down in the first and picking up an extra second.

Take Spencer in the first, Ernest Shazor and Vincent Jackson in the second, and Anthony Bryant in the 3rd.
[right][post="67542"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

That would be a pretty good draft. Although I like the idea of trading down for Pryce, grabbing Spencer in the 1st, Jackson or Heath Miller in the 2nd, Shazor in the 3rd and Bryant in the 4th.

[Guest reggiemyles_4_vp]

Vincent Jackson will be a first rounder I think...mid to late 20s.

Actually I hope he's the 17th pick!

[-Dan_Bengals_FL-]

[quote name='reggiemyles_4_vp' date='Mar 26 2005, 12:28 PM']Vincent Jackson will be a first rounder I think...mid to late 20s.

Actually I hope he's the 17th pick!
[right][post="67724"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

Wow I think that is a little early for a guy that was projected to go in the 4th round prior to his combine workout.

This is a deep WR class and I wouldn't reach at 17 to get him. In the 2nd round I might pull the trigger, but that is if we already have Chris Spencer in our grasps.

[Guest reggiemyles_4_vp]

[quote name='Dan_Bengals_NJ' date='Mar 26 2005, 11:40 AM']Wow I think that is a little early for a guy that was projected to go in the 4th round prior to his combine workout.

This is a deep WR class and I wouldn't reach at 17 to get him. In the 2nd round I might pull the trigger, but that is if we already have Chris Spencer in our grasps.
[right][post="67727"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]
I think he'll be real similar to TO. He's one guy I wouldn't mind reaching for, because I believe someone else definitely will.

[TheBZ]

I don't think Jackson has reached 1st round status...But I think he has made himself into a 2nd rounder.

I'd be happy enough if we grabbed him in the 2nd. He's got some good upside, and I think he's smart enough to grow into a system and be very effective.

I'm also for trading down a few picks, and grabbing and extra 2nd or 3rd rounder.

Can't wait until the draft.

BZ

[akiliMVP]

Tab Perry WR Perry (6-2 5/8)
stood on his 40 times from the combine. At the Pro Day he had a 35-inch vertical jump and 10-foot long jump and ran a 4.23 short shuttle, 11.64 long shuttle and 7.30 three-cone drill. [b]The Bengals wide receiver coach worked him out afterwards. [/b]
from NFL.com

[jrandom42]

I still think Vincent Jackson can be special. He's big, fast, strong and smart. He's a hard worker, fearless going over the middle on a slant pattern, and a decent blocker. Personally, I feel he may turn out to be a better WR than Mike Williams. I like the quote from GNB.com, where they say "he plays like a tight end in fast forward".

Having seen him play, his style (to me) is strongly reminicient of Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael, in the way he uses his body to shield off defenders, his strength in response to being jammed at the line of scrimmage, his ability to adjust to the ball in the air, the way he explosively leaps for a high pass with defenders draped all over him, and the way he loves to run over safeties and cornerbacks running after the catch.

If the Bengals do draft him, I could see him and Carson going to the Pro Bowl, solely based on what havoc they could wreak in the red zone.

[jrandom42]

After seeing Vincent on tape and talking to those who have seen him play in person, here's what I've come up with:

1) At 6' 4.5" and 241 lbs, he's only 20 lbs lighter than DE Bill Swancutt, about the same size as Brian Simmons and Kevin Hardy, bigger than Nate Webster, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller and Khalid Abdullah, noticibly bigger than Tory James, Deltha O'Neal and Keiwan Ratliff, and WAY bigger than Reggie Myles and Terrell Roberts.

2) Concerns about his speed are unwarranted. He ran a range of 4.46 to 4.50 at the Combine. He looks to be one of those fluid athletes who don't look fast, until the tape shows that everyone pursuing him appears to be running backwards.

3) By doing 23 reps at 225 lbs, he's shown that he probably not going to be bothered by attempts to jam him at the line of scrimmmage.

4) Watching him go up for a high pass makes me think of Kevin Garnett going up for an offensive rebound.

5) In his junior year, he was Northern Colorado's starting point guard, averaging 13.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 3.5 apg. Granted, they went 6-22 that year, but he was good enough to hold his own.

6) Those who have talked to him have said that he is a intelligent, serious, hard working, reliable, humble, disciplined kid who responds well to coaching and is well liked and respected by his teammates, despite his celebrity. I think, working with a good receivers coach and an imaginitive offensive coordinator, he could be starting some time in his rookie year.

7) No one other than Northern Colorado and Colorado School of Mines recruited him out of high school. IF he went to Colorado and played in the Big 12, I believe they'd be talking about him in the same breath as Mark Clayton.

8) When Northern Colorado went to see him play, they said he had a good game, scoring 15 pts and grabbing 10 rebounds.

9) One player called him a "freak of nature", after shredding No. 7 Ranked Montana's pass defense for 15 catches for 227 yds. Said, "There's no way anyone this big and strong could be this fast, quick and agile, unless he's a freak of nature or a mutant".

10) At every level of increased competition, he's delivered.

11) "I coached in the NFL for a long time," says head coach Kay Dalton, who worked for the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers over two decades, "and he's as good a wideout as I ever coached. I had some pretty good wideouts, and he can be better than them."

This includes guys like Cliff Branch, Haven Moses, JD Hill, Bob Chandler, Charlie Joiner and Andre Reed.

12) Personally, I have never seen a combination of size, hands, strength, speed and agility like this since Kellen Winslow Sr and Harold Carmichael.

2003 Season
66 Catches 1462 yds 21 TDs
2004 Season
80 Catches 1382 yds 11 TDs

Height 6' 4.5"
Weight 241 lbs
4.48 40 yd Dash
2.63 20 yd Dash
1.57 10 yd Dash
39 inch Vertical Jump
4.00 Short Shuttle
23 reps @ 225 lbs
10' 9.5" Broad Jump
33 WonderLIC score

As a comparison, Mike Williams
Height 6' 5"
Weight 229 lbs
4.56 40 yd Dash
2.70 20 yd Dash
1.66 10 yd Dash
36.5 in Vertical Jump
20 WonderLIC Score

Not suggesting anything, other than hmmmm...