Let me be the first to say I like the Detroit Lions’ choice in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That said, Williams isn't even my favorite Detroit Lions Draft. Actually, the player I'm most excited about is Georgia's safety Dan Jackson. He may be the seventh round draft pick, but Jackson puts the Lions' level on many different levels.

For beginners, Jackson is just a great all-around football player. We know that's exactly what the Lions will look for when building their lineups. They want players who not only play the game, but they will live and most importantly, they like it. You won't let Jackson say anything different. During his career days, he said, "I just want them to realize how much I love games. Sometimes you can tell by watching movies, but once you know me, you realize I just don't like football, I love it."

It will take weeks to release anything, but I can only imagine what type of conversation Jackson had with Dan Campbell and other Lions coaching staff. One thing they have to discuss is the special team. Apparently, Jackson will play a role in the Lions’ special team. After all, he has released over 500 careers on the Special Team Force in Georgia. Then over the past season, he played a starting role in the Bulldogs defense. So he was able to record 64 tackles, 1.5 tackles and make two interceptions last season.

This makes me tell you that Jackson will play a bigger role, not just special teams. Of course, he won't start Brian Branch or Kerby Joseph in his first year, but an expanded role in the Department of Defense is not possible. When you watch the movie, you'll see Jackson performing well and being the true tone of the second half of the Georgia defender.

Whether he plays as a split or a single high-security game, or as a buzzing guard, Jackson will rush downhill. He is a willing tackler and encounters opposition every opportunity. Sometimes, his form has to stick out the window and he will miss some. But putting Jackson close to applying line boundaries to handle backs in the backfield, covering the tight end or lightning for added pressure could be a new level.

His feet move quickly and he has the ability to run with the passer. Additionally, he showed good spatial awareness within the area coverage, so he does have the flexibility and comparableity of a lion when running 3, quarter coverage or other area changes that he intends to run. One problem that seems to happen with Jackson's tape is that he can be crossed by a faster receiver, but in some cases he doesn't find the football cleanly. This will open the delivery window for a long time. If this happens frequently in the first year, it could prevent Jackson from expanding the role as quickly as he has cast for him in the NFL.

Overall, giving Jackson the draft pick 230th overall feels like cheating for the Lions. They have had success in drafting safety and feel like they may have rear-wheel contributors in every aspect of the game. This choice is effortless when it comes to how the Lions determine the best player for them. Jackson doesn't seem to contribute as early or frequently as the Lions after the 2023 NFL Draft, but he certainly has a role in Detroit.