NFL Combine chock full of Georgia football pro prospects. On Dan Jackson being left out

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Athens Banner-Herald
NFL Combine chock full of Georgia football pro prospects. On Dan Jackson being left out

Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald · Athens Banner-Herald

Wed, Feb 26, 2025 ·

4 min read

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Georgia football 's pipeline to the pros flows again through Indianapolis this week when 14 players from last season's Bulldogs team take part in the NFL Combine.

Plenty of UGA fans were in an uproar two weeks ago when the invite list of 329 players was missing one name in particular: Dan Jackson .

One person who was unfazed that day before Valentine's Day was Jackson himself.

He knew in late January when final invites went out that one didn't come his way, according to his agent Jason Chayut of SportsStars.

"There were no guarantees," Chayut said. "I don't read too much into that stuff. The dynamic of the combine invites is just a little bit different. …I've had second-rounders go without combine invites. I don't care. I mean I want it for the kids because the platform is good, but they'll be 32 (NFL teams) at University of Georgia Pro Day."

Jackson will get a chance to show off his skill set there March 12 in the Bulldogs' indoor practice facility.

Chayut's agency represented defensive end Osi Umenyiora who did not get an NFL combine invite but was a second round pick by the Giants in 2003 and won two Super Bowls and made two Pro Bowls.

Jackson was voted top safety for the American squad during practice at the Senior Bowl. He was also a third-team All-SEC pick by the coaches this past season.

"How does a 3 year starter on one of the best defenses in the country not get an invite…," former Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson posted on X after the combine list came out.

Well, the process, according to NFL Combine website, is that every NFL team is invited to provide input on draft-eligible players to the combine's player selection committee.

"The Directors of both National and BLESTO scouting services, which combined represent 28 NFL teams, are joined by members of various NFL player personnel departments to form the committee," according to the website. "The participating NFL executives can rotate on a yearly basis, and remain anonymous. ALL eligible players are reviewed and voted on by the committee members. Each athlete receiving the necessary number of votes, by position, is then extended an invitation. While it is not a perfect science, the goal of the committee is to invite every player that will be drafted in the ensuing NFL Draft."

So was Jackson—who started 19 games at Georgia and was third with 64 tackles last season when he had two interceptions and 3 pass breakups—snubbed by the combine?

"I was surprised because he had good week at the Senior Bowl," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. "He had a couple of big hits both in practice and in the game. That one caught me a little bit off guard. Now, he's not the biggest guy in terms of — what did he weigh here? He's 194 pounds. He's 5'11", just under 6-foot, 194 pounds, but tape-wise, I had him in like the fifth round as the grade that I gave him."

Jackson came to Georgia as a walk-on from North Hall in Gainesville in 2019, spent a year on the scout team and started four games in Georgia's 2021 national championship season and one each in 2022 and 2023 before having his biggest role this past season. On a defense that featured three players that most project as first-round draft picks in linebacker Jalon Walker , defensive lineman Mykel Williams and safety Malaki Starks , Jackson was a key cog.

"He's got a quick pedal, can plant and drive," Jeremiah said. "Big hits on tape as well as at the Senior Bowl, plays with a physical presence, takes good angles. There are some misses, he had some ricochet misses just because he doesn't wrap up, but it's not for a lack of throwing himself in there. But I thought he saw the field well, and I also thought he had a little value as a blitzer. I think he's definitely a draftable player."

For Jackson's part, Chayut said he's "locked in" with his training and declined to be interviewed about not going to the combine.

"Obviously, he's competitive so he's frustrated that he wants to compete," Chayut said. "This is a walk-on that's become an unbelievable player at the college level. Another hiccup like that where you're undervalued or underestimated. That's part for the course for the kid."

After his six seasons at Georgia ended in the Sugar Bowl, Jackson said: "I'm just thankful for the season that I got to be a part of with these guys and I wouldn't want to play with anybody else. …I won't remember every play in my college career, but I'll have these relationships the rest of my life."