Player: CB Donte Jackson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Donte Jackosn has proven good return on investment after the Steelers acquired him by trading Diontae Johnson. While he hasn’t been flawless, he has helped stabilize the secondary with solid CB2 play. His biggest failing has been staying healthy, exiting several games due to injury. After leaving last Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury, however, he appears to have avoided any major concerns.
While he did not practice on Wednesday, Donte Jackson did not give Steelers HC Mike Tomlin any cause for concern. Exiting last Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, it was unclear how serious the matter might be. On Tuesday, however, Tomlin said Jackson was feeling good and left the door open to playing against the Ravens.
Tomlin even said that Jackson might be limited on the practice field during the early portions of the week. Just because he didn’t practice yesterday doesn’t mean he won’t practice today or play on Sunday. To that end, Mark Kaboly reports that he got a clean MRI and plans to play.
A seventh-year veteran, Donte Jackson spent his first six seasons with the Carolina Panthers. In his first year with the Steelers, he has three interceptions in nine games, one off his career best. He has 26 tackles, including two for loss, and six passes defensed. While his tackling has been hit or miss, he has generally been an asset.
Jackson is a prospect Mike Tomlin followed for a long time, dating back to his college years. The Steelers tried to trade for him last year and previously tried to sign him as a free agent. While those missed connections came and went, the Steelers kept him on their radar. They finally got him in exchange for Diontae Johnson, whom they finally replaced last week by trading for Mike Williams.
If Donte Jackson were to miss time, it’s not even clear who would start in his place. James Pierre has filled in when he has exited games, but they also have C.J. Henderson on the roster, and Cameron Sutton is back as well. Cory Trice Jr. was previously the top outside reserve, but he remains on IR.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
