5 reasons why LA Rams signing UDFA OT Alaric Jackson is a big deal

II – The equivalent of a Day Three drafted player

So when the NFL Draft profiles were created around the nation, there was not a uniform consensus for Iowa offensive tackle Alaric Jackson. Some viewed him as a projected round-six player. Other websites viewed him as a projected fourth-round player. But the overall consensus is that he would be a valued prospect on Day Three.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has been with the Iowa Hawkeyes for 22 years. And when Alaric Jackson’s Senior Bowl performance (which wasn’t bad, but just wasn’t as dominating as some had hoped), he chimed in on the defensive of his starting left tackle:

"“All these evaluations, all these measurements and all these different pro days, combines etc., sometimes can lead you down the wrong path either in a positive way or a negative way,” Ferentz said. “We’re talking about guys that really played well on tape and in Alaric’s case, that’s four years of evidence, really. Obviously, he’s a better player now than he was as a redshirt freshman.” – Kirk Ferentz per The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman"

Did the LA Rams pan a nugget of gold out of the ranks of undrafted free agents? Evidence is building that sort of conclusion. Even with his Senior Bowl performance, most projections pegged Jackson between rounds four to six. The Rams signed him to the roster after the 2021 NFL Draft. That means that 259 times NFL teams (not just the Rams) passed him by.

The draft process is flawed. Look no further than the LA Rams history for proof of that. Darious Williams was an undrafted defensive back. Inside linebacker Cory Littleton was an undrafted linebacker. Whether it was the inability to highlight the right attributes, or simply the limited number of draft picks, sometimes gems fall out of the draft. Alaric Jackson has the ‘feel’ of such a diamond-in-the-rough.