The Pittsburgh Steelers added CB Donte Jackson via trade, and they probably knew what they were getting in him. He quickly embraced the challenge of working against their top wide receiver, George Pickens, who returned the favor.
After four days of training camp, the two combatants shared a mutual respect for each other’s game. One offered praise for the other, and the other reciprocated. Last year, Pickens battled then-rookie CB Joey Porter Jr., but now he has another worthy adversary—on the practice field.
“Donte is a fast corner”, he told Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday. “He can play the ball. You can never really run away from him because he’s fast. But as far as his skill set goes, super-twitch guy, too”.
Jackson likewise praised Pickens, noting that their lockers are right next to each other. “We talk a lot”, he said. “He knows what I bring to press coverage and competing. And I know what he brings in high pointing the ball and his catch radius. I tell him what I see, and he tells me what I can do”.
A second-round pick out of LSU in 2018, Donte Jackson is in his first year with the Steelers. They sent the Carolina Panthers WR Diontae Johnson in exchange for the veteran cornerback and hope to “win” the trade. If the early indications of training camp are anything to go by, they have a legitimate shot at it.
Over his six seasons with the Panthers, Jackson recorded 14 interceptions with 46 passes defensed. Coming off a major injury last season, he failed to pick off a pass, his first year without at least two. He did produce a forced fumble, however, and a career-high five tackles for loss.
Jackson insists that he has always covered teams’ best receivers and that he still can. While the Steelers used Porter to shadow top receivers in the second half of last season, they won’t have to. They have the option to do so, but Jackson and Porter can instead play sides or matchups.
That is what the Steelers did when they had Steven Nelson paired with Joe Haden. Prior to Nelson’s arrival, they used Haden to shadow top receivers. With Nelson, they felt they had two quality cover corners. They likely believe that they can duplicate that formula today with Donte Jackson and Joey Porter Jr.
Although he lacks ideal length for an outside cornerback, Jackson is not new to the game. He hasn’t made it this far without finding ways to mitigate the size disadvantage he might face. And he can make up for it by taking the ball away.
Jackson recorded the first interception of training camp yesterday, albeit on a poorly thrown ball. Head coach Mike Tomlin emphasized the defensive playmaking after practice, of which that play was a key part. While he may be alleviating some concerns now, Jackson still has a long season ahead of him to prove he is a complete player for the Steelers.
