Kansas City Chiefs: Four offensive linemen to consider for 2021 NFL Draft

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that will be the case with Iowa product Alaric Jackson. A mainstay on the Iowa line for years, his future position could depend, in part, on what team selects him and what system he plays in.

For the Chiefs, who like to pass a lot and do a lot of deep drops, Jackson’s best fit in Kansas City would be at guard. And he could be a really good one.

The left tackle at Iowa, the one issue I find with Jackson is his ability to change direction in pass protection. Strong at the point of attack with usually good technique and great size, Jackson’s feet are not fast enough to play the left side, and as he hurries himself to get into position, he becomes vulnerable to inside counter moves or quick edge pass rushers.

For teams that run the ball primarily or use a quick passing scheme, he could work at right tackle. The Chiefs, who like deep drops and long pass routes, Jackson would likely greatly struggle to hold up for an extended period of time.

With the Chiefs, he could be a guard and be in Kansas City for a decade. Very powerful run blocker with good size, he is very good at run blocking and moves people off the line. When he gets into his pass sets, he can be very strong and as a tackle does a good job of funneling rushers outside.

He has a great future as a guard, between his run blocking and experience pass blocking, could do very well here. I wonder if Jackson could also play center with his athleticism and size.