Josh Jackson

Cornerback | Iowa | Redshirt Junior

Height: 6-foot | Weight: 196 pounds

College Stats

2017: 48 tackles (34 solo), 0.5 tackle for loss, 26 passes defended, eight interceptions (186 return yards and two touchdowns), one forced fumble in starting all 13 games; led FBS in interceptions and passes defended; became first Big Ten player to return two interceptions for touchdowns in same conference game (43 and 52 yards at Wisconsin); Consensus First-Team All-America selection; permanent team captain; Big Ten Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year; finalist for Jim Thorpe Award

Career:66 tackles (52 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, 32 passes defended, eight interceptions in 39 games (14 starts); played in 12 games (one start) in 2016; appeared in 14 games in 2015 after switching from receiver to cornerback; redshirted in 2014

Combine Results

40-yard dash: 4.56 seconds
Bench press: 18 reps of 225 pounds (tied for third among cornerbacks)
Broad jump: 10 feet, 3 inches
Vertical jump: 38 inches (tied for fifth among cornerbacks)
3-cone drill: 6.86 seconds (10th among cornerbacks)
20-yard shuttle: 4.03 seconds (fifth among cornerbacks)

Profile

Summary:After playing wide receiver and cornerback at Lake Dallas High School in Texas, Jackson redshirted as a receiver for the Hawkeyes in 2014. He switched to cornerback in 2015 and appeared in every game.

Jackson didn't emerge as a starter until 2017, but when he did, he flourished by leading FBS with eight interceptions and a total of 26 passes defended. Jackson was named Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week twice in 2017, including a performance in which he returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Wisconsin.

Stacking up: NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock **nudged Jackson** from his second-rated cornerback to third after the combine. Counterpart Bucky Brooks moved Jackson from third to fifth, **citing his time** in the 40-yard dash. Daniel Jeremiah dropped Jackson nine spots in his **Top 50**, from 18 to 27, after the combine.

Jeremiah said Jackson may be at his best in zone coverage and has "rare ball skills" that enable him to create "some spectacular picks."

"He's an effective wrap/drag tackler in the run game," Jeremiah added. "Overall, Jackson might lack ideal twitch and deep speed, but his combination of size and ball skills is outstanding."

Ball Hawkeyes: Jackson's eight interceptions in 2017 tied a school record for most in a Hawkeyes season. He tied Nile Kinnick (1939), Lou King (1981) and Desmond King (2015). Kinnick won the Heisman that season before dying during a U.S. Navy training flight in World War II. Iowa renamed its football stadium in Kinnick's honor. The Chargers drafted Desmond King in the fifth round in 2017.