Packers: What’s happened to second-round pick Josh Jackson?

Cornerback Josh Jackson was a big part of the Packers’ plans, now he barely sees the field.

In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Packers had a big need at cornerback. In his first draft as general manager, Brian Gutekunst addressed that need with his first two picks.

With his first pick as the general manager, he selected Jaire Alexander out of Louisville. When the second round came along, there was another player a lot of Packers fans were familiar with that seemed to be falling in the draft. Josh Jackson, out of Iowa, led the NCAA in interceptions that year.

As he fell, the Packers’ second pick came up. With the 45th pick, the Packers took the ball-hawking cornerback. This pick excited plenty of Packers fans. This could be the young duo of the future that could lead to a shutdown secondary. The optimism for this pair was high.

Since then, the two cornerbacks’ careers have trended in opposite directions. Alexander has turned into an All-Pro caliber cornerback and has been one of the best in the league this year. He has shut down just about every receiver he’s faced this year.

Jackson, on the other hand, can’t even get on the field. So what happened?

Jackson had a decent rookie year. He played about 68 percent of the defensive snaps. He didn’t record an interception, but he did have 10 passes defended. He looked like he was in a good position to take a step forward this year and be a big part of the defense.

But Jackson has played on just under 15 percent of defensive snaps this year, according to Pro Football Reference. He has been primarily a special teams player, only playing on defense when there are injuries. Granted, he was injured most of the preseason, so maybe he’s just behind a bit. But it’s still concerning how little he has been on the field.

The Packers have been playing him as a safety and cornerback this year. You’d think as a second-round pick, he’d be next in line behind Darnell Savage in that position. However, when Savage went down with an injury against Dallas, it was Will Redmond playing in that spot, not Jackson. Even when Redmond struggled against the Lions and Raiders, they kept him in over Jackson.

When the Packers had their backups in late in the game against Oakland, Jackson came in and it really wasn’t pretty.

Maybe it’s scheme fit, or maybe his injury is still lingering a bit. Maybe it’s in his head.

No matter what’s going on, he hasn’t been performing up to that second-round status. If this continues, the Packers may have a decision to make about his future with the team.