**TrojanSports.com is excited to offer a special FREE TRIAL for new subscribers during this unique situation nationally. Sign up by April 30 and get unlimited premium access for free until Sept. 5 -- the expected start of the 2020 college football season. New subscribers can follow this link and use promo code USC2020. Returning/past subscribers can follow this link to sign in first and start here and enter the promo code.**
Austin Jackson's journey to the NFL is complete.
Jackson, USC's starting left tackle the last two seasons, was selected with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.
Jackson becomes the first Trojans offensive lineman to be selected in the first round since Matt Kalil went fourth overall in 2012 and the first USC player overall to go in Round 1 since quarterback Sam Darnold went third overall in 2018.
This marks back-to-back years, though, that an offensive tackle was USC's top drafted player, following Chuma Edoga's selection in the third round by the New York Jets last year.
Jackson started 25 games over the last two seasons and was named a first-team All-Pac-12 selection as a juinor.
He accomplished that despite undergoing surgery over the summer to donate bone marrow to his younger sister Autumn, who has Diamond-Blackfan Anemia -- a condition in which the marrow fails to produce red blood cells. Jackson was determined as the best match for his sister and took on the procedure without hesitation.
The surgery was a success and Jackson returned quickly to his pursuit of a big junior season and NFL career, not missing a game while earning Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week honors just two weeks into the season against Stanford.
Overall in 2019, he played 926 snaps and allowed 14 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus -- 4 sacks, 1 QB hit, 9 QB hurries and he drew 5 penalties.
He was the respected leader of the Trojans offensive line and replacing his void is the biggest question facing USC -- from a roster standpoint, that is -- in 2020.
Jackson is USC's 82nd all-time first-round NFL draft pick, which now ranks second behind Ohio State's 83.
As for the Dolphins, they started a rebuild last season, trading away, among others, tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Houston Texans and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was that Steelers trade that gave Miami the No. 18 pick it used on Jackson.
The Dolphins earlier drafted quarterback Tua Tagovailoa No. 5 overall and have another first round pick at No. 26 from the Tunsil trade.
