A year after attempting to cross-train him at several different positions in the secondary, the Green Bay Packers are now giving cornerback Josh Jackson a chance to master one position to start training camp in 2020.
According to defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, the Packers are playing Jackson exclusively on the perimeter during camp.
“I think, maybe before, we asked a lot of him,” Pettine said Friday. “We were training him at multiple positions because we wanted to make sure we had some depth. So we played him some at nickel. Whereas here, he’s been exclusively outside. That’s not to say, down the road, we couldn’t cross-train him.”
The outside has always looked like the best spot for Jackson, who arrived from Iowa in 2018 with terrific length, physicality and ball skills, plus explosive leaping ability. Although his skill set could eventually transfer to safety, Jackson was likely miscast in the slot.
So far, so good. Jackson has impressed both Pettine and defensive backs coach Jerry Gray with his early performances on the outside during camp.
“He’s done a good job. He came in here with the right mentality,” Pettine said. “We have high expectations for Josh, and he’s going to be a big part of what we do this year.”
Last season, Jackson played only 103 snaps on defense, down over 600 from his rookie season (718). A second-round pick in 2018, Jackson needed to return to Green Bay and begin rebounding during camp, which is what he’s done early on.
Gray said Jackson has added some “finesse” to his coverage ability.
“He’s had some good days here in camp and I think he’s done a good job of understanding what we’re trying to get done,” Gray said. “I thought he did a really good job the last couple of days.”
Jackson could give the Packers a valuable backup on the perimeter behind Jaire Alexander and Kevin King, or even a potential starter if the Packers decide to use Alexander more in the slot.
“He’s come in so far and he’s had a good camp,” Pettine said. “When he does things right, technique-wise, he has good length, he gets hands on guys, he’s hard to get open against. The DB staff have done a real good job with him.”
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