After targeting him via trade and free agency for the past few seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally landed veteran Cornerback Donte Jackson this offseason via trade, sending wide receiver Diontae Johnson and a pick swap to the Carolina Panthers for the former LSU star.
Through the first six games of the season, Jackson has rewarded the Steelers for the move, making quite an impact for the Black and Gold.
So far, Jackson has three interceptions and has been a very strong No. 2 corner opposite Joey Porter Jr., giving the Steelers a dynamic duo at the position.
Jackson isn’t surprised by the impact he’s made so far for the Steelers. Speaking to reporters Wednesday after practice, Jackson stated that he’s always known what type of player he was in the NFL. He’s just getting more notoriety now that he’s away from the Carolina Panthers and performing with the Steelers.
“It doesn’t shock me at all. Just speaking for myself, I always knew what type of player I was. I always knew what type of players they had on this roster, and I knew what impact I would make,” Jackson said to reporters, according to video via Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker on Twitter. “Just not a lot of people have watched a lot of Carolina Panthers games, but yeah, man, I feel like I’ve been having this edge about my game, having this takeaway ability by my game, having this coverability. I’ve been having all this, now I’m just in a comfortable, controlled environment amongst a lot of great players and just focusing on playing my role and making the most out this opportunity.
“So yeah, it’s good to kind of be getting a little bit of notoriety for what I’ve been doing. But yeah, I’m just excited to keep it going. Excited to keep making plays.”
Since joining the Steelers via trade, Jackson has had quite an impact. He’s been a sound run-defender on the boundary and has tackled very well in space throughout the season.
He’s also come up big in coverage with the three interceptions. Realistically, he should have two more, as he dropped an interception in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons early in the game and nearly had another one late in the game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6, jumping a route but not coming up with the football.
In coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, Jackson has allowed 15 receptions on 27 targets for 154 yards. He hasn’t allowed a touchdown on the season, either.
In 339 defensive snaps, Jackson grades out at 58.8 overall from PFF, including a 62.6 against the run and a 58.9 in coverage. He’s been better than those numbers suggest, too.
When they made the move, the Steelers believed they were getting a high-level player, which is why they had been targeting him since he came out of LSU in 2018. Now that he’s part of the Black and Gold, he’s playing well and rewarding the Steelers for their interest and aggressiveness in pursuing him.
It’s not a surprise for Jackson or the Steelers. Hopefully, there’s more to come.
