Packers 2020 roster preview: Big season ahead for Josh Jackson

A big season awaits for Josh Jackson.

Is the best yet to come for Josh Jackson with the Green Bay Packers?

It was a surprise when Jackson fell to the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, a player many Packers fans had hoped they’d draft on Day 1.

But so far, Jackson hasn’t made the impact many expected. Will that change in 2020?

2019 stats

Jackson played in 14 games with zero starts. He made a total of 11 tackles in the regular season.

2019 review

After making 10 starts in his rookie season, Jackson actually took a step back last year. Jackson didn’t start a single game and only played on 10 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps, compared to 68 percent the year before.

According to Pro Football Reference, seven passes were thrown into Jackson’s coverage, six of which were caught for 63 yards and a touchdown. He gave up an 85.7 percent pass completion and a passer rating of 143.7.

While it was a small sample size in 2019, those numbers were far worse than his rookie year when he allowed 62.5 percent of passes to be completed with a 106.1 rating. Jackson struggled in his rookie season, but his numbers went the wrong way last year.

Odds of making roster: 80 percent

The Packers shouldn’t give up on Jackson yet, however. And their lack of urgency at cornerback this offseason suggests they don’t intend to. Jackson still has a great chance of making the roster, but he’ll need a strong summer to earn more playing time.

What to expect in 2020?

This is a make-or-break season for Jackson. The key will be for Mike Pettine to find the best role for him, whether that’s still at cornerback or possibly at safety.

Jackson will need to show improvements at training camp and the preseason to get more snaps early on, but there will be opportunities. The Packers haven’t made many changes at cornerback this offseason.

Can Jackson make a third-year jump?