National Football League

Adoree' Jackson declares for the NFL Draft in the 11th hour

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

George Stockburger/FanSided via NFL Mocks

College players eligible for the NFL Draft have until 11:59 Monday evening to declare for the NFL

With just hours remaining to make an official announcement, USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson made his decision official on Twitter.

The star defensive back will forego his final collegiate season to pursue a career in the NFL.

Jackson looked to have suffered an ankle injury in the Rose Bowl against Penn State, and was forced to sit during the epic fourth-quarter comeback.

Forever A Trojan. Thank You and Love you pic.twitter.com/GYwgvfxv8l

— Adoree’ Jackson (@AdoreeKnows) January 16, 2017

Jackson took home the Jim Thorpe award this season, an honor bestowed upon the country’s best cornerback. The junior cornerback caught a career-high five interceptions for the Trojans, while also deflecting 11 passes and forcing a fumble.

Another aspect of Jackson’s game that makes him an intriguing prospect is his ability to be an electric kick returner. Jackson had eight return touchdowns over three seasons for USC, and recorded over 2,700 return yards.

Depending on the severity of Jackson’s ankle injury, he could go anywhere from the mid-first round to the late second-round. A healthy showing at the NFL Combine would push him back into the first round conversations.

Teams in the late first-round that could draft Jackson include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, and Green Bay Packers.

Should Jackson slide into the second round due to injury concerns, Cleveland, Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Chicago could look to make an upgrade in their secondaries.

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