The Pittsburgh Steelers have an inherent motivation to pump up the trade that brought CB Donte Jackson here. After all, even though many fans grew to dislike him, the broader NFL community recognized WR Diontae Johnson’s talent. The Steelers received better draft compensation and a salary cap break in the deal, so the Carolina Panthers obviously agreed.
Nevertheless, he is here in Pittsburgh, and even if the Steelers are incentivized to play up their interest in Jackson, that interest still appears to be genuine. We’ve heard both from Jackson and from head coach Mike Tomlin about their flirtations along the way. Yesterday, Tomlin talked up the qualities that he values in Jackson as a player.
“D Jackson’s a guy that’s a very capable cover man, a guy that’s undersized yet plays with an edge”, he said, via the team’s YouTube channel, at yesterday’s annual league meetings. “He’s really quick. His anticipatory skills are very evident. He’s a ball guy; he attacks the football. I have always liked that about his profile”.
Jackson ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash coming out of LSU as an eventual second-round pick in 2018. The Panthers nabbed him 55th overall and five selections before the Steelers, who drafted WR James Washington.
The Steelers had added Joe Haden the previous August, and they still nurtured the flame of Artie Burns as a potential starter. That flame dimmed and ultimately burned out over the course of the 2018 season, however, as did Washington’s subsequent career.
Since 2018, the Steelers have juggled the second cornerback spot, though they found initial success with Steven Nelson. Things could have been simpler over the past half-decade if only they landed Jackson then.
As Haden’s career wound down, Cameron Sutton finally developed into a viable starter, only to leave in free agency. Now the Steelers finally hit on Joey Porter Jr. in 2023 but missed on Patrick Peterson in free agency. With Peterson gone—for now— they hope to pair Jackson with Porter for a size-speed combination.
With Jackson, as Tomlin mentioned, they also add another defensive back with ball skills. For everything Porter achieved as a rookie last year, he still came down with just one interception. Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the better ball-hawking safeties in the game today, yet he had no interceptions in 2023.
Tomlin denied that Johnson requested a trade or that he had any serious issues with the wide receiver’s conduct. He did acknowledge, I might note, the fact that QB Kenny Pickett requested a trade. But they likely realized their future beyond 2024 didn’t include Johnson.
Jackson, 28, can still be a long-term starter, of similar age as Haden when he first signed here. Haden ended up spending five seasons in Pittsburgh. And in Jackson’s case, he could transition into the slot, which could help prolong his career.
