* RD 1 Bengals Select William Jackson III, CB *

[Jamie_B]

I'm not a fan of the pick. Jackson is a good player, maybe the 2nd best CB in the draft after Ramsey. But he'll be our 5th CB this year (behind Jones, Dre, Dennard, and Shaw) and that's not first round value. I'd have taken Billings or Robinson or Jack, maybe even Spence once the WRs were off the board. We need pass rush more than pass coverage at this point. Someone mentioned Denver's CBs and they have 3 good ones. But they also have Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware providing a rush. 

I disagree. Adam Jones is 32 years old, he is playing his best football but nobody beats father time.

Dre K, lets be honest, is mediocre and a FA next year. He is replaceable.

DQ shows alot of potential but is hurt alot too.

You can get a good pass rush if your CBs can cover guys for one second more ect, those things feed each other and are not mutually exclusive.

Also Billings is still not taken yet, so the value isnt as good, and Miles Jack's injury is so serious that I would not be surprised if he doesnt get drafted at all.

[WRAPradio]

I'm not a fan of the pick. Jackson is a good player, maybe the 2nd best CB in the draft after Ramsey. But he'll be our 5th CB this year (behind Jones, Dre, Dennard, and Shaw) and that's not first round value. I'd have taken Billings or Robinson or Jack, maybe even Spence once the WRs were off the board. We need pass rush more than pass coverage at this point. Someone mentioned Denver's CBs and they have 3 good ones. But they also have Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware providing a rush. 

I kind of agree, but looking at the fact that we have no idea how good Dennard is (or isn't), Adam is 33 and we have no idea how good Shaw is either.  I don't think Kirk is terrible, but he can be upgraded.  I think CB was a need especially when facing teams like the Stealers and Patriots.  It's a passing league now and realistically we only have 1 solid corner and he's 33.  

[sois]

I kind of agree, but looking at the fact that we have no idea how good Dennard is (or isn't), Adam is 33 and we have no idea how good Shaw is either.  I don't think Kirk is terrible, but he can be upgraded.  I think CB was a need especially when facing teams like the Stealers and Patriots.  It's a passing league now and realistically we only have 1 solid corner and he's 33.  

I guess the main concern I have is these are the same dudes who drafted Queezy and Dre. Why would they suddenly know how to draft good CBs?

[JC]

The Bengals are notorious for letting older guys play out their contracts, but if Adam goes rambo again this season and is out of control, the Bengals can save 6.3 million against the cap by cutting him.  Could end up being signing Dre for market and letting Adam go if things do not go as planned.

[Hooky]

we dont draft for this year, we havent done that for a few years

Ad that's supposed to be a good sign. 

[happyrid]

Here's his writeup from that Bob McGinn article where he interviews all those scouts (sounds pretty good):

5. WILLIAM JACKSON, Houston (6-0 ½, 187, 4.35, 1-2): Former junior-college player from Houston. "He had 22 PBUs this year," said one scout. "He's fast, physical, can play the ball, long arms (31 ¾). He starts for any team in the league. You might have one (on your team) better than him but you don't have two." Two-year starter with 115 tackles (three for loss), 8 picks and 40 PBUs. "Only negative is he's one of those guys that likes to put his hands on receivers downfield," another scout said. "He's got to stop that. He's really a good player." Wonderlic of 16. "I think he's too small," a third scout said. "Of all the corners, he's got really good ball skills. But his lean muscle mass is like 171 pounds, which is not good."

[Hooky]

Well..........to say Stealer fans didn't care for our pick would be an understatement.

 

http://www.scout.com/nfl/Stealers/forums/1897-heinz-field/14713188--2016-draft-coverage-thread?s=68&page=17

Congratulations, random angels, on your new wings.

[JC]

Here's his writeup from that Bob McGinn article where he interviews all those scouts (sounds pretty good):

5. WILLIAM JACKSON, Houston (6-0 ½, 187, 4.35, 1-2): Former junior-college player from Houston. "He had 22 PBUs this year," said one scout. "He's fast, physical, can play the ball, long arms (31 ¾). He starts for any team in the league. You might have one (on your team) better than him but you don't have two." Two-year starter with 115 tackles (three for loss), 8 picks and 40 PBUs. "Only negative is he's one of those guys that likes to put his hands on receivers downfield," another scout said. "He's got to stop that. He's really a good player." Wonderlic of 16. "I think he's too small," a third scout said. "Of all the corners, he's got really good ball skills. But his lean muscle mass is like 171 pounds, which is not good."

Jives with them saying he has to get stronger.  He looks pretty cut up already.  Wonder if he has a hard time putting weight on.  Hope he likes cod, chicken, and turkey.

[Hooky]

Jives with them saying he has to get stronger.  He looks pretty cut up already.  Wonder if he has a hard time putting weight on.  Hope he likes cod, chicken, and turkey.

It's "jibes".

[BlackBengal]

I'm not a fan of the pick. Jackson is a good player, maybe the 2nd best CB in the draft after Ramsey. But he'll be our 5th CB this year (behind Jones, Dre, Dennard, and Shaw) and that's not first round value. I'd have taken Billings or Robinson or Jack, maybe even Spence once the WRs were off the board. We need pass rush more than pass coverage at this point. Someone mentioned Denver's CBs and they have 3 good ones. But they also have Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware providing a rush. 

So you would have taken one of four guys that none of the teams picking behind the Bengals (the best teams in the NFL) wanted as their first round pick?  And you are critical of the Bengals' pick that we know both the Bengals and the Stealers wanted with their first round pick?  

[sparky151]

So you would have taken one of four guys that none of the teams picking behind the Bengals (the best teams in the NFL) wanted as their first round pick?  And you are critical of the Bengals' pick that we know both the Bengals and the Stealers wanted with their first round pick?  

Yes. I'm not privy to Jack's medical records or Spence's drug testing records. But we need a replacement for Peko more than a replacement for Hall. We need pass rushers more than cover guys. We already had the best secondary in the AFCN. 

[fluhartz]

Here's his writeup from that Bob McGinn article where he interviews all those scouts (sounds pretty good):

5. WILLIAM JACKSON, Houston (6-0 ½, 187, 4.35, 1-2): Former junior-college player from Houston. "He had 22 PBUs this year," said one scout. "He's fast, physical, can play the ball, long arms (31 ¾). He starts for any team in the league. You might have one (on your team) better than him but you don't have two." Two-year starter with 115 tackles (three for loss), 8 picks and 40 PBUs. "Only negative is he's one of those guys that likes to put his hands on receivers downfield," another scout said. "He's got to stop that. He's really a good player." Wonderlic of 16. "I think he's too small," a third scout said. "Of all the corners, he's got really good ball skills. But his lean muscle mass is like 171 pounds, which is not good."

i like that line....

[khwiii]

PFF giving us love:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/29/draft-5-best-picks-from-day-1-of-the-nfl-draft/

And dissing Pissburgh:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/29/draft-5-worst-picks-from-day-1-of-the-nfl-draft/

 

[Jamie_B]

PFF giving us love:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/29/draft-5-best-picks-from-day-1-of-the-nfl-draft/

And dissing Pissburgh:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/04/29/draft-5-worst-picks-from-day-1-of-the-nfl-draft/

 

Love what they said about WJ3 here

"If he can tie up some technique issues, we’re looking at one of the best pure corners in the draft in a few years."

 

[Jason]

i like that line....

That line is probably true here too, but I bet he doesn't start this year.

[SocalBengalEd]

His game tape is pretty amazing.     Not the biggest need but he has a high ceiling.  Pretty excited about him

[Hooky]

I only saw one article that was negative and it wasn't about Jackson. It was that the Bengals didn't get a WR, so we were put in the 1st round losers category. Haters.

[oldschooler]

A few quick slants on William Jackson

Posted 8 hours ago

Geoff HobsonEditorBengals.comFollow Me Blog

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Here are a few things to know about the newest Bengal, University of Houston cornerback William Jackson III.

Here are a few things to know about the newest Bengal, University of Houston cornerback William Jackson III.

-After landing in Cincinnati Friday afternoon with agent Kennard McGuire, the hunger hit the traveling. His first Cincy stop before going to Paul Brown Stadium for a news conference was a Burger King.

-William Jackson Jr., his father, is a big influence in his life and put the hammer down on his academics. The elder Jackson runs an air conditioning business in the Houston area.

 

 

-Will Jackson is also close to his grandmother, Judy Johnson. They share horses as a passion and have been known to go trail-riding together.

"My grandmother got me doing that when I was young. It got kind of stuck with me," said Jackson as he walked through the Bengals locker room for the first time. "My uncle has 10 horses, so we just go over there and ride.

"She tried to take me off when I was little and I cried. I've been doing it ever since."

-"Good number," said secondary coach Kevin Coyle as Jackson held up his No. 22 jersey at his news conference.

He remembers that Johnathan Joseph wore it when he was selected with that No. 24 pick in 2006.

-He says he's a film junkie and has made notes on the play of Pro Bowl corners Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson.

-Jackson, a junior college product, admitted Friday he's come a long way.

"Are you crazy?" said Jackson when asked what he'd say if someone told him a few years ago he'd be a first-round pick. "It's usually big-school guys."

-Jackson says he's looking forward to getting under the wing of Bengals cornerback Adam Jones.

"He's been in the league a long time and I'm looking for him to mentor me," Jackson said.

-Jackson, born in Houston, went to Wheatley High School in the Fifth Ward. He made no bones Thursday night about his rise from what he calls “a tough background,” economically. Houston head coach Tom 

 

Herman says he’s very loyal to his family. Evidence came in the first round, when he opted to host a party for family and friends at a Houston hotel rather than take part in the draft festivities in Chicago.

 

-There is always a Cincinnati connection, right? Herman, the former Ohio State offensive coordinator, was born in Cincinnati and moved away at a young age but still has relatives on the West Side and a grandmother in Delhi. He raves about Jackson as a guy.

“Becoming a first-round NFL player hasn’t changed him in the least,” Herman said Friday afternoon. “He’s humble. We meet almost every day. A this point of the season, he’s been in here working out and he comes in to watch film, too.”

-Herman prepared for Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a bowl game. He was the first corner taken Thursday at No. 5 by the Jags. Herman coached against Ohio State’s Eli Apple in practice and Apple was the second corner taken by the Giants at No. 10. Herman says Jackson is “a combination of both guys.”

“He’s probably not quite as fluid in the hips as Eli. Eli is really, really fluid,” Herman said. “But he’s got the length of both of them and the size. I think he’s got Jalen’s kind of physicality. Jalen is a monster at the line of scrimmage. I think he’s a mix of those guys. Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty good.”

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/A-few-quick-slants-on-William-Jackson/ff3e7ab2-185d-4cee-b5dd-dfde38804df0

[oldschooler]

1 On 1: Jackson Arrives

[oldschooler]

Jackson News Conference Transcript

Posted 5 hours ago

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William Jackson news conference 4/29 transcript

William Jackson News Conference Transcript

 

MARVIN LEWIS

Head coach

and

WILLIAM JACKSON

Cornerback

Initial comments ...

        Lewis: “We’re happy to have Will here today. It’s an exciting time for him, his family, his future, his career, and the Bengals. Last night there was quite a bit of excitement from our team members about us selecting Will, and him having the opportunity to help us get better as a football team. I think they’re anxious to get their arms around him and have him help us, and help him help us. Its been a busy morning getting him here.”

        Jackson: “I’m just blessed to be here, and be a member of this organization. There’s some great guys on this team who tweeted me last night. I’m excited to get to work and show them what I can do.”

 

Who have you heard from?

        Jackson: “It was a bunch of them. I couldn’t remember because I was so overwhelmed. I just couldn’t get the names. There were tweets coming from everywhere, but I’m pretty sure it was a lot of teammates.”

 

Has it started to settle down for you?

        Jackson: “I still can’t believe it right now. Its been a long road to get here. I worked so hard to get to this moment, and for me to be here now is truly a blessing.”

 

Is it an easy scheme transition from Houston to the Bengals?

        Jackson: “Yes, it’s similar. It’s just different terminology. When me and coach went over it on the board on my visit, it was second nature. I got the defense very quickly.”

 

What cornerbacks do you like to watch?

        Jackson: “I like to watch Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson, and how they translate to my game.”

 

Prior to all of this, did you have any impressions of the Bengals as a football fan?

        Jackson: “They’re a great team. They always played the Texans every year. My mother was a big Texans fan, so when you all won, she didn’t like that. But I like the organization.”

 

Do you remember anything about some of those games?

        Jackson: “I don’t remember too many. I was trying to do my own thing by then.”

 

If someone told you years ago that you’d be a first rounder, what would you have said?

        Jackson: “ ’You’re crazy.’ (Laughs.) There’s a lot of Power Five school kids that usually go in the first round, and for me to get that call was truly a blessing for my school and the little kids that look up to me.”

 

When did going in the first round seem like a real possibility?

        Jackson: “After the combine. I had a lot of hype. When I started flying out to a lot of teams and seeing them interested is when it hit me.”

 

Did you anticipate having that type of game in the Peach Bowl vs. Florida State?

        Jackson: “No, sir. I prepared just like any other game. I went out with my teammates and I knew we were going to play for each other. When we all came together and said ‘Let’s do this” in the locker room, I knew we were going to win it.”

 

Do you make any adjustments for the big games?

        Jackson: “I like to show the world that I can play with the best of them. For those type of games I prepare really hard, and watch a lot of film. Its not all me, I’ve got some great teammates and leaders. Once we started to come together and loved one another, I started having a great season, and they had one as well.”

 

Do you remember any players in particular that you’ve gone up against?

        “A wide receiver from Tulsa. He was a taller guy. Playing against him, he was tough. But we got the job done and won the game.”

 

Marvin, what have you liked most about Will’s growth?

        Lewis: “When you looked at him technically, you saw great athleticism and skills. We’ll ask him to clean up some things in order to play down after down in the NFL. A lot of times in college, the scheme gets in the way of technique. We have to match things up all the time that way. Its a different game up here. He was bigger, faster and stronger than a lot of the guys he was matched up against. At this level, its generally even. You have to be exact, precise in the things you do because you lose your degree of error. It goes away very quickly. You have to be on top of your game and stay sound.

        “Will has the skill to do that. He has the intellect to figure out why and understand why, understand the changes of things and why coverage and leverage change based on where your help is. That was an important part of the time that Kevin (Coyle), Paul (Guenther) and I spent with him both in Indy and here. For us to get a good feel for that was great.”

 

Are you looking forward to the mentoring environment, with a bunch of first-round draft picks in the DBs room?

        Jackson: “Of course. Adam Jones has been in the game a long time. I want to get under his wing to see how he prepares and what he did to stay in the league so long. He will be a big mentor to me.”

 

Did he reach out to you?

        Jackson: “I have no idea. My twitter account was going crazy. I’m hoping he did.”

 

Have you spent a lot of time outside of Houston, other than football road trips?

        Jackson: “Not really. I’m ready to get away. I’ve been in Houston too long. This will be a great way for me to grow as a man. I’m looking forward to it.”

 

Your bio says you ride horses? Are you a city kid or a country kid?

        Jackson: “I’m kind of in the middle. I stayed in the city. My grandma had horses in the city, so we used to ride around the city on horses.”

 

When was the first time you rode?

        Jackson: “When I was five. I rode with my grandma. I remember I used to cry when she would take me off. That’s stuck with me since.”

 

So your family owns horses?

        “Yes.”

 

Was there any disappointment that you landed on a team that didn’t have an immediate need at corner?

        Jackson: “Not at all. Every player needs a mentor and someone to look up to. Being behind those guys and seeing how they get the job done and what technique they use can help me a lot. When I get my opportunity, I can go in and play just like they play for years.”

 

Marvin, what are your thoughts on all the competition you have had among your highly drafted cornerbacks?

        Lewis: “You have to take your hat off to our guys for what they’ve done. Dating back to Leon (Hall), to J-Jo (Johnathan Joseph), from then to Terrence (Newman) and Reggie (Nelson), then on to Dre (Kirkpatrick), Adam (Jones) and Darqueze (Dennard), and now Will.

        “They’ve all understood you collectively get better by pushing each other to be better, by holding each other to a higher standard. It makes everyone better. They’ve been competitive in their drill work and practice. They’ve raised each others’ levels of learning how to study the game, opponent and plan. That has raised the level in the room. To me, its a great opportunity for Will to come into, and understand how NFL players go about their day and week. It not only becomes the physical part of the game, but the intellectual part of the game as well. That’s where our guys have really matured and taken a huge step in. Some of those guys are no longer here, but they blazed the trail.”

 

And over a long season, you feel like you need all these guys ...

        Lewis: “We obviously feel like we need those guys. It goes back to when I left Pittsburgh and first took the job in Baltimore. I underestimated how good our guys were in Pittsburgh, and it’s been something that has stuck with me; you can’t have enough. So we’ve continued to do that. Mike (Brown) feels the same way, so we feel good about it.”

 

Do you consider yourself a film junkie?

        Jackson: “Of course. That’s the type of guy I am. I like to watch film. The game comes slower to me. I’m big on it.”

 

At what point did you dive into that?

        Jackson: “This year. I took it very seriously. I started to make plays for my teammates. They were happy for me, so I kept watching films, making plays, and winning games.”

 

What caused that switch?

        Jackson: “My coach taught me how to watch film, like what to look for in receiver stances, the width, and numbers. Once I learned that part of the game, it came much slower to me.”

 

You played at Paul Brown Stadium before. Do you remember?

        Jackson: “Right. I don’t want to remember. (Laughs.) We lost. (University of Cincinnati defeated Houston in 2014). It was cold and rainy. I left some plays out on the field, but we got better that next week.”

 

Is the strength of your game your range?

        Jackson: “Yes sir. I think so. I was blessed to have long arms. I was able to put it all together, to make plays on the ball.”

 

 

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Jackson-News-Conference-Transcript/d50164ac-e2a0-4ecb-99a3-ddb6a1fdca95

 

[oldschooler]

Blood, sweat and tears

Posted 4 hours ago

Geoff HobsonEditorBengals.comFollow Me Blog

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Willliam Jackson meets the press Friday at Paul Brown Stadium.

This time, the horse had left the barn.

Judy Johnson, William Jackson’s grandmother, couldn’t stop crying Thursday night. Not after the Bengals took him with the 24th pick. She has seen him play nearly every game he’s ever played, starting with the Fifth Ward’s Finnigan Park Falcons and she just couldn’t stop.

“He tried to console me,” she said Friday. “But the more he hugged me, the more I cried. I had to leave. If I had stayed I just would have kept on crying.”

How things have changed. From the time he was six weeks old to until he started to go to school at six years old, William lived with Judy. Even when he moved in with his mother about five minutes away, he still went to her house as a little kid on weekends. Why not? One of the things they did was ride horses together at his uncle’s place that had 10 horses.

“His mother would have to circle Friday on the calendar on Thursday,” Judy recalled. “And every time I brought him back home, he cried. It would get so if we were out shopping and I was driving, when I turned down a certain street he would know I was taking him home and he would start crying.”

There has been a family loyalty ever since in Ward Five, a tough, blue-collar spot of Houston that has been described as lower middle class. One time when Jackson was all-district on both sides of the ball at Wheatley High School, he saw his grandmother walking by the high school on the day of a game.

“He asked me what I doing and I said I was going to buy tickets for the game,” Judy said. “He said, “Grandma, it’s too cold.’ And I said, ‘Are you playing tonight? If you’re playing, I’m going.’”

She’s still ready. She’ll be in Houston for the Christmas Eve game the Bengals play the Texans. She’ll be in Dallas. After that?

“I told him wherever he got drafted, I’d go to the games if he sent me money,” she said.

He probably will. It was that same kind of loyalty that made Jackson stay home and not go to Chicago to the draft with the other first-rounders. He hosted about 20 family members and friends at a Houston hotel Thursday night.

When he arrived in Cincinnati for his news conference Friday, he admitted he hasn’t been away from home very much. By his side was his agent, hometown Houstonian Kennard McGuire, best known in Cincinnati as the agent for Akili Smith and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

David Gibbs found out something else on Thursday. Gibbs, now the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech, had been Jackson’s coordinator at the University of Houston for two years and when they talked on the day of the first round, he discovered Jackson was 18 hours short of a degree, remarkable, he felt for a guy who came out of high school as a non-academic qualifier and started his college career at Trinity Valley Community College.

“It’s a reachable goal,” Gibbs said. “And the fact he’s talking about it on the day he’s drafted speaks volumes about the kid.”

He has William Jackson Jr. to thank for that. His father. And Judy’s son. When William III began struggling in school and hanging with the wrong crowd, his father brought down the hammer and got his academic life in order. It was natural for his father because had done it himself in blue-collar fashion.

“My son started out in a store as a bagger and worked his way up to cashier,” Judy Johnson said. “He told me he wanted to go to school for air conditioning and now he runs his own company.”

On Friday at Terrell AC & Heating, William Jackson Junior couldn’t talk. He was working meeting clients, but admitting he was, “basking in the glow.”

It is that blue-collar approach and family loyalty, good old-fashioned intangibles, mixed with a stunning brew of God-given gifts that makes Gibbs think the Bengals have hit it.

“I’m a conservative guy. I think he’s a safe pick,” said Gibbs, the ultimate compliment by a veteran of three teams and nine years as an NFL secondary coach in Denver, Kansas City, and Houston. “He’s got the skill set everyone is looking at for corner. He’s  long ,he’s fast, he’s got great ball skills. It’s hard to find those guys in high school and college because they’re playing wide receiver. To have a guy that can actually run with 6-3 and 6-4 receivers and to be able to make a play on the ball is rare.”

And at 6-1, 195 pounds, Jackson, Gibbs believes, has an endless ceiling. “Unlimited potential,” he calls it. He just hasn’t practiced or played much as other first-rounders. Gibbs recalls Jackson didn’t get to Houston until August of 2013, so he missed that spring practice, and he didn’t become a starter until late that year.

“He’s got tremendous upside,” Gibbs said. “I think he’s going to get better as this thing goes. I coached Champ Bailey and Deltha O’Neal in Denver before he went to Cincinnati. They had great ball skills, but I don’t know that they had his length. I’m not saying he’s a better player than those guys. He’s got the same ball skills and he’s long and he’s really fast. That’s what the one question was heading into the draft. How fast was he? I’ve seen very few people run by.”

The only one who seems to have his number is Judy Johnson. “Number One Fan,” is what pops up on William Jackson III’s phone when it is her. At 68 and retired from being a cashier at IKEA, she just had surgery on both ankles, so she no longer rides the trails with him. But he’s been riding since he was five.

“”I remember I used to cry when she would take me off. That’s stuck with me since,”  William Jackson said.

 Now things have changed.

“I guess,” Judy said, “he’s left the crying to me.”

 

 

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Blood-sweat-and-tears/60575596-17bb-423d-9127-4763b632a171

 

[oldschooler]

 

 

 

[Jeb]

[Jamie_B]

Stealers fans react to WJ3 going to Bengals.