Chicago Bears: Khalil Mack, 5 takeaways from Chuck Pagano’s press conference

5. Pagano has high expectations for Eddie Jackson

Ever since the Chicago Bears drafted Eddie Jackson in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft he’s been nothing but great. He was a first-round talent but a leg injury scared teams away. The Bears got a steal and enjoy the perks of having him on the roster.

Jackson is one of the top safeties in the league. In his first two seasons in Chicago, he recorded 96 tackles, 8 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles, and a total of 5 touchdowns.

Last season, the Bears asked Jackson to move over from free safety to strong safety. The team signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who wasn’t able to play strong safety. Playing in the box restricted Jackson’s play. He still played well (he made the Pro Bowl in 2019) but he didn’t come close to having the dominant season he had the previous two seasons. Now that Clinton-Dix is gone, the Bears signed strong safety Tashaun Gipson. That allows Jackson to move back to the free safety spot and hopefully dominate again.

Pagano expects a lot from Jackson, not only as a player but also as a leader, per the team’s official website:

"I think he’s ready to take another step from a leadership standpoint. Back there, he runs the show and he’s a really, really bright guy, and he’s a smart guy and he studies the game. He can tell you this too, he can take it to another level."

Jackson finds himself back to his natural dominant position so he and the Bears hope he does his job and helps his teammates dominate as well.

Speaking of the safety position…