For CB Donte Jackson, he is now with his second organization after being traded from the Carolina Panthers to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. He has a unique perspective coming in as an outsider. He has the benefit of seeing what worked (and what didn’t) with his previous team and applying that framework to how he approaches his time with the Steelers.
In a recent appearance on The Irish Steelers Podcast, Jackson was asked how he is jelling with his new teammates.
“The whole room has been great. We have a lot of great minds in the room as a collective. Coach Grady [Brown], Coach [Anthony] Midget, they’ve been awesome preparing us, you know, attention to detail,” Jackson said. “I think that the whole room has been buying into wanting to do something great, and I think that’s been the biggest message going throughout OTAs.”
Jackson doesn’t feel the effects of this, but the room has seen a pretty substantial overhaul over the last two seasons. This offseason has been the most dramatic change with Patrick Peterson, Chandon Sullivan, James Pierre, and Levi Wallace no longer on the team and a bunch of fresh faces alongside Jackson, including Beanie Bishop Jr., Josiah Scott, Cam Sutton, Anthony Averett and Ryan Watts. Even assistant secondary coach Anthony Midget is new to the organization.
With the addition of Sutton, the secondary feels much more complete as he can be the top backup at outside corner as well as the primary slot corner option. So how is the room coming along?
“Sutton coming back, and me, and Joey [Porter Jr], and [Cory] Trice, and [Darius] Rush, I can go all day, this is just a smart group,” Jackson said. “Everybody want to learn, everybody want to be great, everybody wanna go out there and make plays. And I think just having that type of nature in the room, it only breeds competitiveness. It only breeds hard-nosed football.”
Both of the Steelers’ starting outside corners have a certain edge to their game, including their propensity to talk a little smack to their opponents. Even with the top three corner positions most likely set, there will be plenty of opportunities for the younger guys to make a name for themselves, and the leaders in the room will set the tone for that competition. Jackson is on just a one-year contract along with Sutton. Beyond the 2024 season, there is plenty to compete for. The Steeleers no longer have the ultra-experienced Patrick Peterson around to mentor and push the group, and Jackson is now the most experienced cornerback on the roster.
They all have the opportunity to be a part of a great defense in 2024. The rising tide of the defense should elevate everybody who gets a chance to play. From the sounds of it, the cornerback room is locked in and ready to become a strength of the defense.
