Washington Huskies: Jaxson Kirkland wants to skip draft, return to UW
Jaxson Kirkland, the Washington Huskies starting left tackle since 2020, has petitioned the NCAA to grant him another year of eligibility.
It looks like left tackle Jaxson Kirkland is coming back to the Washington Huskies for next season. Originally committed to the 2022 NFL Draft, he needed ankle surgery in early February. The original injury occurred in a 24-17 loss to UCLA on October 16. Although he missed only two games, the ankle bothered him enough to have it surgically repaired.
If healthy, many NFL mock drafts predicted Kirkland as a late-second-to-early-third-day pick. Since he won’t be ready to test at the NFL Combine or UW’s Pro Day, Kirkland recently petitioned the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. That way, he can heal and hopefully improve his draft stock for 2023.
Washington Huskies career
During his two seasons at the Washington Huskies’ left tackle, Kirland was named to the All Pac-12 team. Redshirted as a freshman in 2017, he started all 14 games at right guard the following season. The Athletic named him to the Freshman All-American team.
Playing in all but the final two games (Apple Cup and Las Vegas Bowl, Kirkland’s excellence continued in 2019. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection. Kirkland moved to left tackle for the COVID shortened 2020 season and remained there in 2021.
Kirkland’s NFL prospects
The ability to play both left tack and right guard at a high level in the Pac-12 makes Kirkland a good pickup for any NFL team. The biggest issue is his age. At 24-years-old, most players would have been in the NFL for at least a season or two by now.
Waiting for another year to enter the draft will make it even more difficult for Kirkland to hear his name called. Even if the NCAA grants him another season, Kirkland might not improve his draft position.
Left tackle is the most demanding position on the offensive line. In the NFL, the LT is almost always the best player on the line. His primary job is to protect the quarterback’s blindside.
It is debatable whether he can cut it as a starting left tackle at the next level or even come in and play early in his pro career. Fortunately, Kirkland is versatile, and that’s a valuable skill in the NFL.
It will be important for him to find the right team to maximize his skills. Until then, the Washington Huskies will take advantage of what he can do for their O-line if his petition is granted.
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Just one reason why we like @jaxson_kirkland. 😤 pic.twitter.com/1jjhlGWn5L
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) June 4, 2021
We wish Jaxson Kirkland the best whichever way things go. He will be remembered as a pretty good Husky! Go Dawgs!