By all accounts, former Mississippi State OL Gabe Jackson is a fun and nice guy off the field.

However, that’s not the demeanor Oakland Raiders OL coach Mike Tice wanted in his right guard on the field.

After a strong 2016 season in which Jackson played a large part in making the Raiders’ line one of the best in the NFL, Tice told the San Francisco Chronicle that he sees more of an edge in the ex-Bulldog now:

“He started to play with more tenacity and aggression last season, and you can see him becoming an —hole at the end of plays,” Tice said. “He’s realized he’s one of the most powerful guys on the field, and exploiting that.”

Now that the Raiders have made a hefty long-term investment in QB Derek Carr, Jackson will be counted on even more to keep the quarterback clean in the pocket:

“You’ve gotta protect the quarterback, and we want to open up holes for the running back to get to the second level,” Tice said. “I want guys who are smart, big, can move laterally and have tenacity, and Gabe and [left guard] Kelechi [Osemele] fit that mold.”

The Raiders also rewarded Jackson with a five-year, $56 million contract extension this offseason, so he now has plenty of reasons to be confident in his position with the team, which should make him an even better player this fall.