In the NFL Draft, the Florida Gators had to wait a bit longer than normal to have their first player called. On Day 1, the Gators had their five-year streak of having someone drafted in the first round broken, and even on Day 2, their streak of having someone drafted in the first three rounds since 1994 was broken.
Chimire Dike got the ball rolling of Gators getting drafted, and Cam Jackson has kept the party going after being selected by the Carolina Panthers.
Florida's Cam Jackson will join the trenches in Carolina
With the 140th pick, the Carolina Panthers took Florida defensive tackle Cam Jackson.
Jackson came to Florida via the transfer portal in 2023 after three seasons at Memphis.
When Jackson originally transferred to Florida, we noted:
"Cam'Ron Jackson was a three star prospect out of Louisiana that signed with the Memphis Tigers. In 2020, he was 6'5, 270 pounds, a bit undersized to play defensive tackle in the SEC.
Let's just say Jackson has beefed up since then. He's now credited with being 6'6, and now tips the scales at an eye-popping 340 pounds. Jackson now has the size to fit in a long any defensive line in the SEC."
After a respectable 2023 campaign, Jackson came back for one last go around and shined in 2024. He had 27 tackles with just two missed tackles. Jackson was also credited with 16 pressures.
His size, listed at 6'6" and 328 pounds at the NFL Combine, is ultimately his calling card to be a vital run-stopper for Carolina. His length and power should translate well to the NFL, and while there is some concern about his all-around conditioning, he is going to be just fine as a 30 to 40 snap-a-game guy.
Panther fans should feel confident about this pick.