Carolina Panthers: Donte Jackson can help rebuild secondary
The Carolina Panthers picked up LSU cornerback Donte Jackson with their second pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to help the defensive backfield.
Defense was the name of the focus in Round 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft for the Carolina Panthers as they selected cornerback Donte Jackson. Jackson was a top-rated prospect at this position and the former LSU standout has the potential to be an immediate starter in the Panthers secondary.
Out of LSU, Jackson is 5-10 and 178 pounds. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in pure speed. His 40-yard dash at the Combine caught a lot of attention as he set a high mark of 4.32 seconds, tying for the second fastest time in the 2018 NFL Combine.
In three years at LSU, he didn’t light up the box score defensively, but he was a very solid player that can be counted on in covering the oppositions’ top wide receiver. Often times, that’s an equally important characteristic when looking for a cornerback that can step in right out of college.
Since Josh Norman’s departure from Carolina, the Panthers have continued to look for a defensive threat to take his place. In the last two drafts the Panthers selected four cornerbacks, looking to find a premiere player. Of those four men, only James Bradberry has shown the ability to be a starter and has steadily improved since joining the league in 2016. Jackson is another attempt to find a player that can develop into a star player for the Panthers defense.
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Where Jackson has his strength’s in speed and coverage abilities, he has struggled in the tackling department. In his three years at college, he earned 82 solo tackles and only four interceptions, numbers that do not leap off the page in any regards.
However, this is what makes Jackson an intriguing addition to this Panthers roster. Carolina’s defense has thrived by creating an atmosphere of opportunity. Take Kurt Coleman as an example. Carolina had the perfect defensive scheme that allowed Coleman to excel, much in part due to the opportunities created by other defensive players on the field.
Jackson can find himself in a similar position as a part of this Panthers defense. It’s way too early to deem him the answer to Carolina’s need for a lock down defensive player, but adding him to a defensive system that has been shown to generate success benefits both Jackson and this organization at the same time.
Carolina made a few key moves during this off season to bring in options for the defensive backfield. While Jackson will step in as the rookie, he should be a real threat to taking the number two corner back position on the field behind Bradberry.
Next: NFL Draft 2018: Grades for each first-round pick
With their first pick the Carolina Panthers looked for an answer to their offensive passing struggles. When it came time for the second selection the Panthers stayed on the theme of the passing game, but focused on the defensive side of the ball. The selection of Donte Jackson out of LSU helps the continued rebuilding of the defensive backfield with a player that can make an impact early, but also be groomed to become a lockdown specialist in the defensive backfield.