D’Qwell Jackson
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D’Qwell Jackson | Cleveland Browns | LB
2012 Experience: 6th Season
IDP Fantasy Football Outlook: D’Qwell Jackson was one of my top sleepers last year, but in reality, it’s hard to call a guy a sleeper when he had so much success before his pec injuries cost him basically two years.
Health problems have clearly been an issue for Jackson in the past, but he put together a healthy full season last year and was arguably the top linebacker to own.
One of the elite selections at his position this year, Jackson should have another big year, especially with Phil Taylor gone up front. Then again, the Browns are thin at tackle so we may have to watchout early in the year to see if Jackson is having problems with lineman blocking him in the second level.
I’m willing to bet a veteran like this won’t have many problems. Still because of his past health issues, it would be wise to land rookie weak side linebacker James-Michael Johnson towards the end of your draft.
Johnson has been practicing as the middle linebacker while Jackson was out in OTAs with a back issue. The back should be just fine, but Johnson would instantly jump into a LB2 situation if Jackson missed time, and the rookie took over.
| Tackles | ||||||
| Total | Solo | Sacks | FF | PD | INT | |
| 2012 Projected Stats | 138 | 107 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
2012 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: ADP's | Rankings | Mocks | Cheat Sheets + Auction Values
Information is constantly changing in the NFL and fantasy player values can change at any moment. Having updated, informative news can help you not just at your fantasy football draft but during the regular season. Feel free to glance at our recent articles to make sound decisions throughout the year.
Summer of 2011: Fantasy Projections
Early in the off-season it was expected that the Browns were going to move D’Qwell Jackson over to the weak-side linebacker as they are in transition from play in a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 scheme. That change turn out to be false as Cleveland informed Jackson that he would be the teams middle linebacker, just a few days after the lockout ended.
I believe this is the ideal spot for Jackson to play at as he’s used to being on the inside and has proven to be a successful option in that area. A one-time IDP stud (check the stats’ below), Jackson has had hard luck in recent off-seasons as he’s had season-ending injuries. Because Jackson’s health is a legitimate concern, I have him around the 30th best linebacker to select on draft day. When healthy, Jackson should perform as a No.2 linebacker even in a new defensive scheme as he has a nose for the football and can rack up the tackles in a hurry.
Still, you want to protect yourself, and it’s advisable to go for him as a late No.3 to early No.4 to add extra depth onto your squad at a key position. Hopefully, Jackson will bounce back as he should still have some good years left in his body to return to a possible LB-1 type of player.
| Tackles | ||||||
| Total | Solo | Sacks | FF | PD | INT | |
| 2011 Projected Stats | 94 | 65 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
June 201l Outlook
It’s a darn shame that D’Qwell Jackson has had the pectoral injury problems he’s had over the past two seasons, because he was clearly good enough to be a top five IDP linebacker with the Browns. That’s exactly how he performed before the injury problems, but now he will be faced with not only coming back from injury, but moving over to a weak-side position in a 4-3 defense.
Jackson’s IDP values is as low as it’s ever been and that is fair given the defensive scheme change and mainly because of the missed time. Still in his prime years, Jackson signed a heavy incentive one year deal with the Browns as he looks to get his career back on track. Look to Jackson as a great pick towards the end of your IDP draft. That way you can wait on him to see how he performs, and if he does well, he has the skill to be a starter in your league as a weak-side option.
2010 IDP Fantasy Football Outlook
Much like Lofa Tatupu, DeQwell Jackson missed most of the 2009 season with a torn pectoral muscle. Before injury Jackson was having another fine IDP fantasy season as he was racking up around ten tackles per game. Look for Jackson to bounce back from his injury and have another fine season for IDP fantasy owners.
