College coaches believe Drake Jackson is most underrated undrafted player

The 2021 NFL Draft has concluded with six former Kentucky Wildcats hearing their names called.

Unfortunately, one of the players that didn’t hear their name called was center Drake Jackson. However, he was quickly picked up in free agency by the Detroit Lions.

Yahoo! Sports’ Pete Thamel polled 100 coaches form the 10 FBS conferences to learn who they were most surprised to see fall to a later round in the draft or even not get picked.

Drake Jackson was one of the names that came up multiple times as someone who coaches were shocked didn’t get drafted as Thamel noted that Jackson got the most mentions “by far” of the undrafted players.

“Flip on the film, he had no problem blocking the best defensive linemen in the country week in and week out. If he was a little taller [than 6-foot-2], he’d have been gone in Round 2. I’m shocked that he didn’t get drafted. Great communicator and such a good adjustment maker that I’ve adjusted some things [coaching] based on what he showed me on tape.”

Kentucky assistant coach Vince Marrow made an appearance on WLAP’s Sunday Morning Sports Talk, and he also believed Jackson proved enough to get drafted.

“Drake for four years, definitely 3.5 years, blocked some of the best defensive linemen in the country, and excuse my language, whooped their ass,” Marrow said. “I was a little pissed, but I knew Detroit, Chris Spielman and those guys really wanted him. They just didn’t have a sixth or seventh round pick.”

Jackson started in Lexington for 3.5 years and is one of the best to ever do it at Kentucky. His college film proves that he can block the best defensive linemen in the country and the Lions got a steal by being able to sign him in free agency following the draft.