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

I-The tale of Brandon Scherff and Alaric Jackson

With the fifth pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Washington Football team selected Iowa offensive tackle, Brandon Scherff. The offensive coordinator at the time? Coach Sean McVay.  The assistant offensive line coach at the time? Coach Kevin Carberry.

Washington drafted the versatile offensive lineman to start at offensive guard. Scherff was 6-foot-5, 319-pounds, arm length 33 3/8ths, hand size 11 inches. He put up 5.05-sec 40-yards, 1.8-sec 10-yard split, 2.98-sec 20-yard split, 4.57-sec 20-yard shuffle, 7.18-sec three-cone drill, 32.5-inch verticle jump, 8-foot-11 broad jump, and 23 reps 225-pound lift.

Fast forward to 2021, and the LA Rams have signed Iowa offensive tackle Alaric Jackson. Jackson is 6-foot-5.5, 321-pounds, arm size 33 7/8ths, hand size 9.75 inches, He put up 5.28-sec 40-yards, 1.78-sec 10-yard split, 7.70 -sec three-cone drill, 25-inch verticle jump, and 20 reps 225-pound lift.

Scherff was a Top-5 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Jackson was undrafted. So obviously, their circumstances are as different as night and day, right?  Perhaps, if you have that mindset. But keep in mind that Sean McVay led Washington’s offense then, and leads the Rams’ offense now. Keep in mind that Coach Kevin Carberry coached Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff then, and will coaching Iowa offensive lineman Alaric Jackson now.

Where a player is drafted no longer matters. Now it’s up to Alaric Jackson to seize this opportunity. Clearly, the perception is that the Rams are looking for offensive linemen. The Rams did lose veteran Austin Blythe to free agency. Now, who will rise to the challenge of filling the void in 2021?  It won’t be easy for Jackson.  But somehow I like his arrival to the Rams roster.

If he doesn’t work out, he can still be assigned to the team’s practice squad to compete for a 53-man roster spot in 2022. But if he does work out? The Rams could have a cheap and effective replacement for offensive guard Austin Corbett next year. And that is what makes Alaric Jackson’s signing such a big deal. In all honesty? He could be one of the most important rookies to the team in 2021.