NY Jets film session: Is Darrell Jackson Jr. a fourth-round steal?

When New York Jets fans found out that their team used a fourth-round pick on a 315-pound defensive tackle with one sack in 2025, they all figured that New York’s plan was to deploy him as a high-level nose tackle.

But what if the Jets drafted Darrell Jackson Jr. for an entirely different role?

Speaking to the media ahead of the Jets’ rookie minicamp, Aaron Glenn revealed a surprising plan for Jackson.

“I actually see him playing, we call it the big end, so he will play a 5-technique, a 4-technique, he’ll be able to do that,” Glenn said of Jackson. “With his size and his length, he really fits that role to a T. Once we go to four-down, we’ll see exactly how he operates at the nose and at the 3-technique, and we’re going to continue to develop that player.”

Jackson occasionally lined up at 5-tech for Florida State, but it was never his primary role. However, he wasn’t stuck in the nose tackle role, either.

In 2025, Jackson was primarily used as a run stopper in the A gaps, logging plenty of reps at nose tackle, 1-tech, and 2i-tech. His production mainly came in the run game, as he had 24 run stops, compared to only 14 total pressures and one sack.

But in the 2024 season, Jackson spent more time out at 3-tech, and he was much more productive as a pass rusher in that role, picking up 3.5 sacks and 30 total pressures.

So, what is Jackson’s best role in the NFL? Could he really spend a significant amount of time at 5-tech, as Glenn said? And how much should the Jets expect from him in his rookie year?

In the latest edition of Blewett’s Blitz, we answer all of those questions and more in a full-fledged breakdown of Jackson’s All-22 film.

Below is the full Darrell Jackson Jr. film review and scouting report (strengths and weaknesses).