Fantasy owners have been waiting for the San Diego Chargers’ passing game to break out under quarterback Philip Rivers since he took over the reins before the 2006 season...
While the duo of Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates produced three consecutive seasons of solid, occasionally spectacular, numbers, it took until 2008 for the great duo to become a prolific trio and top-flight passing offense. The development of fourth-year wide receiver Vincent Jackson made all of that possible.
Jackson entered the NFL as a second-round pick out of Northern Colorado University after displaying a special combination of size (6’5”, 240 lbs.) and superior athletic potential, but his transition to the professional game was slowed by a distinct lack of "refinement". As with many physically gifted young players, especially receivers, Jackson had survived largely on speed and size, having never been required to develop the knowledge or precision that is mandatory in the NFL.
Fast forward to 2007. Jackson garners significant sleeper buzz as a projected starter for a San Diego team that finished 14-2 in the 2006 regular season but disappoints as he finishes the season with just 41 receptions for 623 yards and three touchdowns. In fact, he is so ineffective that the team is forced to trade for wide receiver Chris Chambers mid-season, and Jackson ultimately catches more than three passes in a game just once (Week 15).
Expectations sufficiently tempered from the previous year’s failures, Jackson started to contribute modestly through the first third of the season. Targeted forty times in the season’s first six weeks, Jackson caught 22 balls for 436 yards and two touchdowns, and though it would prove to be his most consistent stretch of the season, it was clear that Jackson was becoming more than just a distraction. He finished the season with 59 receptions for 1,098 and seven touchdowns.
Looking ahead to 2009, Jackson still has issues with consistency, and he’ll need to solve those problems to become a bona fide No. 2 fantasy receiver. Half of his 2008 games resulted in three receptions or fewer, and while a career-high in touchdowns made him a solid contributor for many fantasy teams, his inability to create weekly made him a liability in head-to-head formats.
Jackson continues to improve as he gains experience, and there is little reason to doubt that he’ll take another step in his development in 2009. Jackson’s fifth-round ADP is consistent with a borderline No. 2 wideout, but his upside makes him a more desirable option than other receivers in the same draft position such as Chad Ochocinco. Bolstered by a steady offense and elite quarterback, Jackson’s career path is on the rise, and he faces fewer peripheral questions than Eddie Royal or Anthony Gonzalez.
Ideally, owners would wait on a player like Jackson for at least another round, but wide receiver has become such a top-heavy position that the second-tier players are earning their own premium draft position. For his part, Jackson stands as one of the better options there, and owners should consider him rather than wait for aging veterans such as Santana Moss, Hines Ward or Torry Holt in the next round.
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