Landon Jackson got some very important advice from his wife, Grace, on Friday. The defensive end out of Arkansas saw his phone ring, and he was about to let it go to voicemail.
鈥淢y phone said, 鈥榩otential spam risk鈥 whenever they called,鈥 Jackson said. 鈥淚 thought I was getting pranked to be honest with you. Then, my wife said, 鈥楪o ahead and pick it up. I think it鈥檚 somebody.鈥 And then I picked it up, and they said, 鈥楾his is the Buffalo Bills.鈥 鈥
It was Buffalo on the line, calling to add to their defense in the third round.
With pick No. 72, the Bills selected defensive end Jackson out of Arkansas. Jackson marked the third pick on the defensive side of this draft for the Bills, following cornerback Maxwell Hairston and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders.
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The Bills acquired the pick in a haul when they traded with the Chicago Bears to first move up to draft Sanders at No. 41. The Bills got picks 41, 72 and 240 from Chicago in exchange for picks 56, 62 and 109. The Bills had entered the draft without a third-round pick.
Jackson (6-6, 264 pounds) began his collegiate career at LSU in 2021 before transferring to Arkansas from 2022 to 2024.
In 42 career games, he logged 116 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 16.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and five passes defensed. He led Arkansas in sacks each of the last two seasons, and he is also a two-time team captain 鈥 a leadership trait that surely caught the eyes of the Bills.
Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson was selected in the third round by the Bills on Friday night.
鈥淵eah, very excited,鈥 Bills general manager Brandon Beane said of Jackson. 鈥淗igh character, DNA. A longer athletic dude, a lot of sacks, went against a lot of premium talent in the SEC, and had a lot of production. Obviously, athletically tested very well. You know, I would say even tested better than I would have maybe even said.
鈥淏ut this guy is smart, he knows how to rush, he has feel in there. He鈥檚 not just an athletic guy. Like, he knows when the quarterback鈥檚 stepping up. He鈥檚 just got feel, instincts, awareness, he鈥檚 tough, he鈥檚 a dog. He鈥檚 everything we want in a DNA of a D-lineman.鈥
The Bills went to Jackson鈥檚 pro day, and he had a formal meeting with them at the combine. He could sense it was going well throughout the pre-draft leadup.
鈥淛ust through every aspect of the process, I just kind of felt like they were really high on me, and I felt like I fit their defense really well, as well,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o, just really excited when I got that call, and the end of the day, I feel like this is the place for me. I feel like I, from the jump I knew this is where I needed to be, and this is God kind of showing me where I need to be.鈥
Jackson is powerful, but still raw. Dane Brugler, a draft analyst for The Athletic, wrote in his scouting report that Jackson is 鈥渋mposing,鈥 but may have a 鈥渓ack of fluidity鈥 in his play.
鈥淥verall, Jackson has a different type of pass-rushing skill set because he isn鈥檛 a super-fluid athlete, but his raw power, strength in his hands and consistent effort make him effective,鈥 Brugler wrote. 鈥淗e should be expected to compete for starter-level snaps as a rookie.鈥
Jackson has a high football IQ, and the Texas native hails from parents who both played college sports.
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 got a versatile skill set, I really do,鈥 Beane said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that we would necessarily rush him inside ... he鈥檚 going to play more of definitely a base end for us. I agree with you. You just see him. This is a projection business. 鈥
鈥淭his guy was playing against guys who are already in the NFL or were just drafted this weekend. It鈥檚 an easier projection to me to see Landon Jackson go into the NFL than maybe some other players or positions.鈥
Jackson has Alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, and he鈥檚 been an advocate for other kids with the condition. He said on Friday that he can鈥檛 wait to get up to Buffalo and get involved in the community in Western New York.
That doesn鈥檛 mean all of Friday was easy.
鈥淵eah, real stressful,鈥 Jackson said of his emotions while waiting. 鈥淚 had a great feeling I was gonna have my name called tonight, but I didn鈥檛 know when. So, just every pick you hear somebody else鈥檚 name, it gets you to start stressing.
鈥淏ut, you know, it鈥檚 a blessing. It鈥檚 something I鈥檝e been dreaming of my whole life. And I鈥檓 happy to be a Bill.鈥
