Cincinnati Bengals select McKinnley Jackson in 3rd round of 2024 NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals have selected former Texas A&M defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jackson played four seasons at Texas A&M, appearing in 40 games (24 starts). He tallied 91 tackles (43 solo), 15.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Jackson started all 12 games this past season for the Aggies, recording a career-high 3.0 sacks. He served as a season-long team captain for Texas A&M.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was four years old, you know, I have been going step by step of just chasing dreams,” Jackson recently told WXXV News 25. “Now it’s becoming a reality. It’s all a blessing and I’m trying to take it in all at one time but, you know, I think there is always going to be more to do. Once my name is called it’s time to get a gold jacket and a couple of rings. I can’t be complacent with what I do in life – I need to keep elevating and going higher and higher. That’s where my mind is with this thing right now.”

Jackson played high school football for George County in Lucedale, Mississippi, where he was a four-star prospect. He ranked as the No. 83 overall prospect and No. 10 defensive tackle in the 2020 class, according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about McKinnley Jackson

Lance Zierlein of NFL Network had Jackson as his No. 19 ranked defensive tackle prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft with a 5.96 Prospect Grade.

“Squatty interior defender who felt somewhat miscast as a 0-technique nose over the center,” Zierlein wrote. “Jackson is explosive off the snap with the ability to get into blockers quickly or to attack their edges as a penetrator. He tends to ride on blocks once they land squarely and needs to develop his hands for better counters as both a run defender and a rusher.

“Jackson plays with good strength, but he’s more gradual than twitchy in his battles. He might be more consistently effective at a lighter weight and as a rotational nose in a one-gapping even front.”