Both picks came with some off-field questions, which impacted expectations on where they might be plucked in the draft, but Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he felt comfortable with his conversations with the players and about picking them.
“We used every exposure we could to get to know them better, top 60 at the Combine, (top) 30 visit here at the facility,” Taylor said. “We wanted to get a chance to talk to them face-to-face, learn more about them and felt really comfortable with these guys. … There’s certainly some maturity things that come with some of these guys, coming out of some of these colleges and that’s one of the things they will continue to grow with.”
Draft analysts were all over the board on their rankings for Burton, who was known to have some up and down moments during his four-year college career, including an incident in which he swung at a female Tennessee fan during a postgame field-storming celebration and an unsportsmanlike penalty against Texas A&M in 2023.
Regarding the fan he swung at, Burton said it was after an emotional, passionate game, but he learned from that situation and moved on. Two weeks later against LSU, the Tide found themselves in a similar situation and Burton said he quickly separated himself with an understanding “there is more at stake” and he shouldn’t take his opportunities for granted.
“I’m Jermaine Burton, and I just want to play football,” Burton said. “I do this for my mom and sister. And, you know, I have a lot of passion that comes from behind my history and what I’ve been through so, you know, I just want everybody to know that, that I just want to play ball. I do this for my family.”
Jackson, a three-year starter at Texas A&M, was suspended for the first two games of his sophomore season in 2021 after an August drug charge, including possession of a controlled substance. He played 10 games with four starts that season and went on to become a team captain as a senior in 2023.
His leadership is something he said stands out about him as a player.
“Being McKinnley Jackson, being a great team leader, a great person, great player, really just helping everyone get where they wanted to go, being accountable, a leader on the field, off the field, doing everything I could do to do everything right as possible in my power and try to help everyone at the same time,” Jackson said.
The two third-round picks both exude on-field traits that will be helpful to the Bengals.
Burton, a 6-foot, 196-pound receiver who played his first two seasons at Georgia, brings explosiveness and athleticism to the Bengals receiving corps as someone who can play inside or outside, alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins . He averaged 20.5 yards per catch during his senior season with the Crimson Tide and had just four drops in four seasons, including none in 2023.
The pick seemed to be one of destiny. Former Bengals wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh announced the selection on site at the draft in Detroit and noted how special that one in particular was to him because he has been training Burton for years.
Jackson, a 330-pound nose guard, is another run-stopper that can add depth to the defensive line room. He graded at a 76.9 in run defense last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and also had four sacks. Jenkins was the more athletic pick, while Jackson brings the ideal size Cincinnati needed to add to the defensive front.
Taylor said there are not a lot of defensive tackles with Jackson’s size and ability in the draft pool, and the Bengals had rated him highly.
“With both these picks, they’ve allowed a lot of flexibility in those rooms, the receiver room, D-tackle room, we’ve got a lot of guys that can play football,” Taylor said. “Even outside the guys we talk about as starters necessarily, now we’ve got an opportunity to find roles for a lot of different people and we feel like we’ve got a lot of talent in both those rooms, which is exciting.”
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