Too tall, too athletic and too many touchdowns. No, these aren’t the answers to your next interview question about what your biggest weaknesses are. Instead, these are a handful of the reasons as to why Colorado State football star Warren Jackson will not be a high-round draft pick in this year’s NFL draft.

Listed at 6 feet, 6 inches, Jackson is significantly taller than the average height of 6 feet for NCAA wide receivers. What is Jackson going to do with that height? This isn’t basketball — size is overrated. It simply allows for a bigger frame for hard-hitting, incoming safeties to target. The more space Jackson takes up on the field, the more likely he is going to get tackled. 

Not to mention the track record for pro athletes named Warren isn’t great. If drafted, he will be the only active player with Warren as a first name in the league, proving Warrens just don’t belong in modern-day football. And being the only one of anything is always risky. Jackson will be forced to set the precedent for all future Warrens, and that pressure may get the best of him. 

Although the name Warren isn’t relevant in modern-day pro ball, it was a staple in the olden days. But as eras pass, play styles change and the game moves on, and the name Warren is clearly outdated in football. Not to mention Jackson will also always be living in the shadow of legendary Warrens like Warren Moon and Warren Sapp. Realistically, Jackson can top out as the third-best Warren of all time, and that is a tough thing to accept mentally.

A deep threat and big-bodied wideout, Jackson is now just one month away from draft day. His now-alma mater, CSU has been labeled as “Wide Receiver University” for their recent success at breeding NFL pass catchers. The likes of Rashard Higgins, Michael Gallup and Bisi Johnson were all NFL draft selections who have impressed early in their career. Preston Williams, another CSU wideout who initially went undrafted but then signed as a free agent, is also finding NFL success. 

Producing four successful players at one position in only the last few years is a very impressive feat by an individual program, as the vast majority of drafted players bust out in a few seasons. It’s only a matter of time until this happens to CSU’s “next great thing.” The odds are just against another CSU receiver having a good career. They can’t all be studs, right?

After players were able to opt out of the 2020 season for COVID-19 pancake-related purposes, Jackson chose to train for the NFL draft and forgo his senior season. Can someone say #rusty? Some will argue the time off will be beneficial to Jackson’s body, and others say he honed his skills while training for the next level. The fact remains: We simply don’t know.

Jackson dominated college football. In his last season for the Rams, he collected 8 touchdowns while piling up 1,119 receiving yards. These are tremendous numbers, but just because you are good at football now doesn’t mean you will be later. Will Jackson be next on this list because he is simply too talented on paper?

The Unprecedented Times reporter The BA$$MAN can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @baileybassett_.