Packers 2018 Draft: Quick overview of Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson
Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson cornerback remains a favorite to be drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 2018 NFL Draft, but is he the right guy?
The Iowa cornerback is definitely one the most talented players going into the draft this year, coming off a fantastic 2017 season where he recorded 48 tackles and led the nation with eight interceptions, including two pick-sixes in one game against Wisconsin.
Jackson is also the only player in Big Ten history to have two interceptions returned for touchdowns against a Big Ten team.
The Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year (2017) declared for the 2018 NFL Draft in early January, which could be exactly what the Packers are looking for.
The Packers defense finished the 2017 season 22nd in defensive rankings, and had been struggling with youth and injuries in the secondary all year.
The unit could really use the will power and skills of a Josh Jackson. The Packers secondary gave up 3,789 passing yards and 5,582 total yards in 2017.
A fully-healthy Kevin King and a motivated Damarious Randall with a shutdown cornerback such as Josh Jackson should be a recipe for defensive success. Mike Pettine will have a lot on his hands this offseason regardless of who the Packers draft this year. I think the fact that Pettine is fired up about this defense should excite Packers fans.
Jackson’s speed and height would bring a lot to the table for Pettine and could not only make this defense intimidating, but in fact scary. Pettine has worked with the 3-4 scheme his entire career so I think Jackson’s stillness and the ability to go man-to-man effectively and not leave guys wide open like we saw in the 2017 season will help this defense in a massive way.
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The Packers desperately need a versatile edge rusher in this upcoming draft and a player who can cover the very best in this league. If Green Bay makes the right moves in this year’s draft by drafting a player like Jackson, this team could very well be scary in 2018.