If you spent enough time around Drake Jackson during his USC career, his appearance as he prepared for the NFL draft was startling at first. Shoulders broader. Arms thicker. Face fuller.

Weight has been a recurring part of Jackson’s narrative since the defensive end first arrived at USC from Corona Centennial in 2019. As a freshman when he broke out onto the scene with a team-high 5.5 sacks, he weighed 275.

But ahead of the 2020 season, he dropped 20 pounds to play the hybrid outside linebacker role that new coordinator Todd Orlando envisioned for him. A COVID-19 case ahead of the 2021 season dropped Jackson down another five pounds.

But as he’s prepared for the draft, Jackson has added weight again, going all the way back up to 273 while trying to prove to teams how well he can move at this higher number.

“It’s been a good process, man, living in the weight room, living in the kitchen,” Jackson said at USC’s pro day last month. “Just trying to lead my body mass out and turn fat into muscle.”

Jackson has been working with Exos, a company that specializes in athletic training for NFL prospects. They’ve provided meals to help Jackson achieve his weight goals, and he’s been careful about what he’s eaten outside of those meals.

Teams have asked questions about his fluctuations in size, and where he feels best. His answer is 265 pounds, but that doesn’t mean he’s not comfortable with his current weight.

“I feel great. I feel like I’m still 255 or something like that,” Jackson said. “I’m gonna be more effective now. It’s gonna be a lot crazier now with this weight. And now it’s good weight. When I was a freshman, it was baby fat, now it’s muscle.”

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jackson has spent the past three weeks making 13 visits to NFL teams, including Green Bay and Denver. Most projections have Jackson going in the second or third round Friday.

“That’ll be the day, man, cross the threshold and I’m really in there,” Jackson said.

Ingram rising

One USC prospect whose stock has been steadily rising the past few months has been running back Keaontay Ingram. The former Texas transfer who led USC in rushing this past season has taken several opportunities to show scouts his skill set.

From the Shrine Bowl to the NFL Combine, Ingram has turned scouts’ heads with his receiving ability out of the backfield. This part of his game has lifted Ingram from the ranks of the undrafted into someone expected to go in the final four rounds Saturday.

“That was the biggest thing for me, to see me catch a couple balls here,” Ingram said after the USC pro day. “Throughout the whole draft process, I had the opportunity to do that. That was a big win for me. I’ve been hearing good things, so I’m excited.”

Another area Ingram wanted to show teams was his football IQ in interviews, as well as accountability for mistakes in his tape.

“I feel like I checked all the boxes and stuff, so now I’ll just see where I go,” Ingram said. “It’s time to play football now.”

Steele looking to prove himself

USC cornerback Chris Steele has met with around 19-20 teams during the draft process, including the Saints, Colts, Dolphins, Chiefs, Chargers and Rams.

Throughout those talks, Steele received feedback that he’s tried to work on, while simultaneously trying to clear up what he believes are misconceptions about his game.

“The biggest thing for me was showing them that I know football a lot more than people think and I was able to prove that over my several meetings at the combine,” Steele said at USC’s pro day. “They just wanted to see me clean up a few of my breaks and everything, said I was choppy coming into my breaks. So I was able to kinda put that under the mud throughout the combine and pro day.”

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While Steele has good size for a corner at 6-foot, he felt like there were concerns about his top-end speed. But a 4.48-second 40-yard dash time helped put those doubts to rest.

“My physical traits are there,” Steele said. “The sky’s the limit. I think I have a chance to go late Day 2, early Day 3. That’s the feedback that I’ve been getting.”