Since coming over to the Pittsburgh Steelers from the Carolina Panthers in a rather surprising trade for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, cornerback Donte Jackson has fit in seamlessly with the Black and Gold.
After the Steelers reportedly spent some time during the 2023 season trying to acquire him, they were able to land the coveted cornerback, hopefully providing an answer at the position opposite Joey Porter Jr. for not only the 2024 season but beyond.
Jackson looks to get off to a fast start in training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. There, he’s looking forward to getting a chance to show off his talents to Steelers fans.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday after reporting to training camp, Jackson stated that he and the Steelers are a “match made in heaven.”
“I feel like I’m right where I belong,” Jackson said to reporters, according to video via the Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski on Twitter. “I’ve always been the type of player that this organization embodies. Tough, physical, hard-nosed, and I think this is just the place for me, man. I watched the Steelers my whole life. I think everybody who’s watched football of any nature has watched the Steelers, has been a Steelers fan at some point in their life, or had favorite players that played on this in this organization.
“So just embodying that, man, just coming out here, just being excited to just be a Pittsburgh Steeler and taking it one day at a time.”
New veteran CB Donte Jackson loves being a Steeler pic.twitter.com/lcSgCl4AOC
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 24, 2024
The tape throughout Jackson’s career certainly matches his comments. Though he’s not the biggest, Jackson brings a physical style to the cornerback position, which fits exactly what the Steelers are looking for.
His excitement to be a Steeler is real, too. During OTAs and minicamp, Jackson talked about how “giddy” he was to play for the Steelers. He also stated he knew he was a perfect fit for Pittsburgh due to his play style.
During his six years in the NFL, Jackson has been a productive cornerback. In those six seasons — all with Carolina — the former second-round pick has played 4,281 snaps in 80 career games. In those 80 career games, Jackson has 303 tackles, 15. tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 14 interceptions, 46 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one touchdown.
Last season with Carolina, Jackson started 16 games and finished with 59 tackles, five tackles for loss and five pass breakups. He allowed 45 receptions for 588 yards on 57 targets last season, giving up three touchdowns and a QB rating against of 107.7.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson graded out at a 64.3 overall in 2023, including a 66.6 in coverage and a 52.3 against the run. He missed 10 tackles on the season and had a 47.2 grade in the tackling department from PFF.
While he might not be the biggest or the strongest, he brings the right mentality to the position, never hesitating to mix it up around the line of scrimmage and coming down to hit people. That’s what the Steelers look for at the position. Jackson is confident he brings that.
He can’t wait to show Steelers fans that, too, especially after how welcomed he felt following the trade.
“Just can’t wait to get in front of amazing fans,” Jackson said. “They’ve been amazing to me on social media and stuff like that. So just getting a chance to get out in front and just feel the energy in person, I’m looking forward to that.”
