Posted on Mon, Apr. 28, 2008
DeSean Jackson understood what it meant when he stepped on the scale at the NFL Draft Combine and the little weights stopped moving at 169 pounds. This was more of a problem than the 6-0 height listing that turned out to be 5-10.
No first-round glitter for the fastest receiver at the combine (4.35 seconds). The mock drafts that had Cal's explosive junior wideout and return man - 29 touchdowns in 36 career games - going around the middle of the first round quickly were adjusted. Draft experts weren't surprised when the Eagles were able to get Jackson with the 49th overall pick Saturday, in the second round. And Jackson wasn't surprised to become an Eagle; he had discussed his size, and many other things, with Eagles coach Andy Reid. Jackson felt they were on the same wavelength.
"Leading up to the combine, I knew I had to gain weight,'' Jackson said in his first appearance in front of the Philadelphia media yesterday, having flown overnight from California. "It was something I just knew I had to do. Playing at 165 for almost my whole career at Cal was something I did and I didn't have any problems; I only missed two games my whole career. Coach Reid, we had a great sit-down talk and he's very confident in me and knows what I'm capable of doing. I'm at about 175 right now and I want to get to 180. I feel very confident and I'm ready to come into this Eagles organization and make a good name for myself and help out the team in any way possible.''
As he waited for his name to be called, Jackson said, "My family did a good job of keeping me calm and collected. They let me know of some of the great names - Deion Branch, second round; Steve Smith, third round. Some of the best players end up in the later rounds. I definitely come up with a chip on my shoulder, and I feel like I have a lot to prove. I feel like a lot of people are questioning my size and things, but I have heart and I can play at this next level. That's something I'm going to come in and do, is show everybody [that I can]."
At the very least, assuming he doesn't get broken in half by tacklers, Jackson would seem to provide the big-time return threat the Eagles have lacked for several years.
"He's pretty special there,'' Reid said. He allowed that Jackson's six career scoring punt returns were against college competition, but also said: "I think the balls are the same size at this level as they were at that level.''
Jackson was more of a punt returner than a kickoff returner at Cal, but that doesn't mean he can't return kickoffs here as well. Eagles fans, eager to continue Reno Mahe's retirement, probably would see punt returning as a bigger need.
It's less clear how much the only offensive weapon the Birds added in the draft (although they did trade for running back Lorenzo Booker) can help Donovan McNabb's receiving corps. But Jackson has a booster in fellow DeBartolo Sports and Entertainment client Jerry Rice, who helped Jackson prepare for the draft. Rice has been pushing the comparison to Carolina's Smith, a 5-9, 180-pound wideout who has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards each of the past three seasons.
"He has all the talent in the world,'' Rice said of Jackson at a workout this spring. "There's no reason he can't be everything he wants to be at the next level.'' *
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