Getty Jonah Jackson pass blocking Khalil Mack in 2020.
The Detroit Lions look poised to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and even though that is the case, the team can still be a bit underrated in some aspects.
Even players on such a position group can be underrated, and it seems that’s just what the Lions have in guard Jonah Jackson.
In 2021, Jackson cracked the Pro Bowl for his work, but even though that is the case, he is still overlooked in a big way in league circles. Analyst Brandon Thorn brought that to light.
As he recently tweeted, Thorn believes that Jackson is very underrated for his work last season, and along with Jon Runyan Jr., combines to form a tandem of the two most underrated guards in the league.
The two most underrated left guards in football last season were a former Buckeye & Wolverine: Jonah Jackson & Jon Runyan Jr. I think this year will be when more people realize it.
“The two most underrated left guards in football last season were a former Buckeye & Wolverine: Jonah Jackson & Jon Runyan Jr. I think this year will be when more people realize it,” Thorn tweeted.
Steady is a good word to describe the play of Jackson in the league, and that might not make many highlight reels or jump into the headlines. Even such, Jackson seems to be on the right track for the team given how he has locked down the job in Detroit.
Whether he starts to get more credit for that remains to be seen.
Jackson Also Called Under-Appreciated Player
Underrated is one word for Jackson, but an even more powerful word for the lineman might be “under-appreciated.”
A person who would no doubt agree with the notion that Jackson is underrated is NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund, who also believes that folks aren’t giving Jackson enough attention for what he does.
The numbers analyst took a closer look at picking out the most under-appreciated player on every roster via what she called a “context-based model” a few months ago. When the process was finished, Jackson was the selection for Detroit.
As Frelund wrote, “computer vision shows that Jackson’s run blocking improved significantly over the course of the season while his pass blocking was drastically better when the Lions were able to use more balanced play-calling (not just the pass).”
Finding more of that balance could be the key toward getting Jackson some more recognition for 2022 and beyond, and perhaps moving him past being underrated.
Jackson’s Career Stats & Highlights
Underrated and overlooked or not, the facts don’t lie about where Jackson could be heading for the team.
Jackson played in the Pro Bowl last season, and while he has not received other major accolades, that doesn’t change the fact that he has been a strong player for the Lions. Perhaps most significantly, Jackson started 16 games as a rookie and played solid football. It’s not often that the Lions have a young lineman capable of playing a starting role right off the bat while not looking out of place, but that’s just what Jackson brought to the mix as a rookie.
While he was a first-year man out of Ohio State, Jackson showed the kind of toughness and grit that could keep a high-level starter in the league.
Before this season, Jackson might well be underrated, but he could be on the path toward proving himself in a bigger way this season. Perhaps soon, he won’t have to be considered a secret any longer.
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