Breaking: Rams Face Free Agency Fear, Alaric Jackson’s Emergence Complicates Things
NFL free agency isn’t about trying to add the biggest and best names to your roster, it’s about supplementing a roster through efficient, effective signings and leaving the big paydays to the players that were drafted by their respective teams.
It can be hard to find good value at premium positions, though, simply because they’re premium positions. Teams are likely to overpay on a nearly-guaranteed basis because these positions are most crucial to overall success.
But, sometimes a player finds himself as the exception and that’s the case with Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson.
Alaric Jackson could be one of free agency’s best values, period, but especially at left tackle
Unless you’re a Rams fan or a diehard, Jackson is one of the most overlooked players in the NFL. He’s gotten better in all four of his NFL seasons, with his best year yet occurring in 2024. He’s solid in both pass protection and run blocking and he’s entering his prime. Currently Jackson is 26-years-old and won’t turn 27 until later in the year.
The key part is the last sentence. He’s entering his prime and his ceiling is expanding, which is exactly what NFL teams want when looking at a free agent. The best part for Jackson is Sean McVay’s coaching tree has spread far and wide throughout the NFL and a lot of offenses fit Jackson’s skillset and talents.
Jackson is an above-average-to-good run blocker who has improved in pass pro with the Rams. He’s not an elite athlete who can handle elite pass rushers in pass pro, but he’s at least average in that realm, now. He has good overall play strength and his technique has improved with the Rams. Not a top-10 guy, but I’d say around league-average or so.
