Texas A&M senior DL McKinnley Jackson is saying goodbye to College Station and heading to the Queen City as he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 97th pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
From being the No. 1 player out of Mississippi in the 2020 class to being a two-time captain with the Aggies in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Jackson was the backbone of A&M’s impressive run defense throughout his time in Aggieland.
“McKinnley is a powerful man on the inside against the run and can be quite disruptive in the interior,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “His ability to take on multiple blockers helps the overall defensive scheme.”
While wearing the Maroon and White, Jackson had seven-and-a-half sacks and 81 total tackles in his four seasons. In his senior season, he had three of those sacks and 27 tackles with a forced fumble in A&M’s win over Abilene Christian.
At the 2024 NFL Combine, Jackson ran a 5.26 second 40-yard dash with a 1.78 10-yard split. Jackson was also able to bench 24 reps at A&M’s Pro Day.
No. 3 and his ability to cause havoc on opposing team’s offenses will be missed in College Station as he moves on to wear the orange and black.
