Kenyatta Jackson Jr. DE/EDGE Ohio State |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #97 SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.65 seconds (88%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 22.6 DOB: 02/11/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #97 | |
| SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.65 seconds (88%*) | |
| Age: 22.6 DOB: 02/11/2004 | |
| Overall Rating: |
85.6 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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76% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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55% |
| Pass Rush: |
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74% |
| Run Defense: |
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79% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#64
Position rank:
#9 (DL)
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| College Games: 43 College Snaps: 1029 | ||
ESPN RATING: 85/100
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247 RATING: 95/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.0 (98%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dani Dennis-Sutton - Penn State |
|
85% |
| Sai'vion Jones - LSU |
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80% |
| Shemar Stewart - Texas A&M |
|
78% |
Draft Profile: Bio
At Chaminade-Madonna Prep, Jackson accumulated 34 career sacks and helped win a Class 3A state championship as a senior, posting 15 sacks and 17 tackles for loss to earn Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year award and Under Armour All-American honors. He signed with Ohio State as the nation's No. 68 overall recruit according to 247Sports.Jackson redshirted in 2022 behind future NFL draft picks Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, recorded seven tackles in 2023, then played all 16 games of Ohio State's 2024 national championship run with 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks, adding two solo stops in the title game against Notre Dame.
Stepping into a featured role in 2025 after Ohio State's entire starting defensive line departed, Jackson posted 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks across 14 games, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention. He recorded two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss against Penn State, added a sack in the win at Michigan, and notched another in the Cotton Bowl playoff quarterfinal against Miami, where the Buckeyes' season ended. In January, Jackson announced his return for a fifth-year senior season.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Quick get-off paired with 78-inch length to win the edge cleanly
- Productive first year as a starter, with eight sacks and forty-five pressures
- Overwhelmed Washington's edge for two sacks and eight pressures
- Run holds up, setting the edge against Big Ten power
- Closed Penn State with a sack and seven total pressures
- Converts speed to power with active hands at the point of contact
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Tackling finish lags, missing seven and grading out modestly there
- First full year as a starter leaves room to refine the rush plan
- Wins more on length and effort than a developed counter sequence
- Pad level climbs on long rushes, costing him the corner late
Scouting Report: Summary
Jackson broke out in his first year as a full-time starter, pairing a quick get-off with 78-inch length to win the edge and turning it into eight sacks and forty-five pressures. He wrecked Washington's edge for two sacks and eight pressures, closed Penn State with a sack and seven total pressures, and held up against the run by setting a firm edge against Big Ten power. The length and the burst give him two reliable ways to beat a tackle.The refinement is still coming. His tackling finish lags, with seven misses and lunges in space, and he wins more on length and effort than a sequenced counter plan when the first move stalls. His pad level can climb on long rushes, costing him the corner late, and the rush arsenal will deepen with another year of starting reps. He is an ascending player rather than a finished one.
What he offers is a starting-caliber edge with prototype length, a productive base, and clear room to grow into a complete rusher. The traits and the first-year production point to a player whose best football is ahead of him, especially as the hand plan catches up. He grades in the Day 2 range as a three-down edge with a rising ceiling, a sound bet on length and trajectory.
How other scouting services rate Kenyatta Jackson Jr. (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
43.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
31.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.