Tag: Donte Jackson

Frank Reich: CJ Henderson has been ‘Mr. Consistency’

If Donte Jackson isn’t ready for Week 1, the Panthers may have to go to “Mr. Consistency” himself—CJ Henderson.

2023 is, undoubtedly, the most important pro season for Carolina Panthers cornerback CJ Henderson. And luckily for the 24-year-old, the stars may be aligning.

Head coach Frank Reich spoke with reporters ahead of Tuesday’s practice session. He was asked if starting cornerback Donte Jackson, who sustained an ankle injury in this past Friday’s preseason loss to the New York Giants, would be ready for Week 1.

“I think so. I think so,” Reich said with a bit of uncertainty. “But, I’m anticipating so, yes.”

While he would return to action, Jackson briefly left the exhibition after sustaining the injury. The sixth-year defender is also coming off an Achilles tear of his opposite foot from last season, one that forced him to miss the final seven games of the 2022 campaign.

If he can’t go, it may be Henderson who gets the starting nod along with fellow first-rounder Jaycee Horn. And if he does, Reich may be just fine with that.

“He’s been great,” he replied emphatically of Henderson’s summer. “I shouldn’t say that, you get a little excited. But he’s been Mr. Consistency. Yeah, he’s just been consistent, been good. Really excited about what he’s put on tape.”

The 2020 ninth overall pick has not lived up to that billing over his three NFL seasons. He’s also entering a contract year after the Panthers declined the fifth season of his rookie deal back in May.

So, with or without Jackson in the lineup, Henderson will have to bring that consistency over into the fall to keep that title (and perhaps a job) in hand.

[lawrence-related id=678061,678112,679472]

Former LSU LB Deion Jones joins Panthers training camp

Deion Jones heads to Carolina for his seventh year in the NFL.

[autotag]Deion Jones[/autotag] found a new home this week, signing with the Carolina Panthers.

The linebacker became the sixth former LSU player to report to Panthers camp, joining the likes of [autotag]DJ Chark[/autotag] and [autotag]Donte Jackson[/autotag] among others.

After spending the first six years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Jones played for the Browns last year. He appeared in 11 games and made five starts in Cleveland.

Jones has 12 career interceptions to go along with 11 sacks. In 2016, he finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting before making a Pro Bowl in 2017.

Jones began his LSU career in 2012 but emerged as a senior in 2014, where he was one of the top linebackers in the conference. He totaled 164 sacks in his time with LSU.

 

Speaking to the media, Jones said he feels welcomed in Carolina and highlighted his connection to the coaching staff and the locker room.

This will be Jones’ seventh year in the league.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1389]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Donte Jackson: I’m still the fastest player on the team

Not only is Panthers CB Donte Jackson feeling great after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, but he said he’s also still the fastest player on the team.

The mental aspect of recovering from an Achilles tendon tear can be as onerous as the physical aspect of it—something Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson attested to on Monday.

Following this morning’s installment of training camp, the 27-year-old spoke with reporters about his journey back from a torn Achilles.

“I feel great,” he said. “I spent a lot of time throughout this process just thinkin’ like, ‘Man, am I ever gonna feel the same? Am I ever gonna have the same ability? So just bein’ out here and just feelin’ back to normal, just feelin’ back good and just movin’ around and being back with the guys—it’s just a blessing.”

But is he still the fastest player on the team? And is he really faster than fellow LSU Tiger DJ Chark? Well, he certainly thinks so.

“Still the fastest on the team,” he said with a smile. “DJ can go, though. He can go. But I can go go.”

Jackson, who missed the final eight games of the 2022 campaign, was later asked about the toughest part of the recovery.

“The hardest part is getting your mental back,” he replied. “It’s obviously physical, right? But the hardest part for me was just gettin’ out of that dark hole, just gainin’ my confidence back and just knowin’ I’ll be able to go and follow guys’ No. 1’s again and I’ll be able to go out there and just play meaningful reps again. That probably was the biggest thing for, ’cause I spent a lot of time not believin’ I was gonna be able to do that.”

Luckily for Jackson, there’s plenty of self-belief left.

[lawrence-related id=678104,678102,678096]

‘Madden NFL 24’ ratings for Panthers cornerbacks revealed

The “Madden NFL 24” ratings for the Panthers’ cornerbacks were rolled out on Thursday.

One of the biggest questions marks for the Carolina Panthers in 2023 is the cornerback position. Between injuries to their starters in Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson and a lack of discernible depth, they don’t exactly boast the most trustworthy of groups in the NFL.

But, can you trust them on the sticks?

Here are the “Madden NFL 24” ratings for the Carolina corners:

3 positions the Panthers should address before training camp

The Panthers still may have some work to do before reconvening for training camp later this summer.

The Carolina Panthers have been remarkably active this offseason. Yet, their work on the roster seems far from done.

Here are the three positions the teams should address before entering training camp later this month.

Panthers’ secondary in lower half of PFF’s positional rankings

The Panthers’ secondary didn’t place too well in PFF’s new rankings.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

The back of the Carolina Panthers defense is pretty solid—in both play and name value. But that’s as long as you don’t poke any more holes in its frontline.

Pro Football Focus released its secondary rankings ahead of the 2023 season. Coming in at No. 21 is Carolina’s—which boasts the likes of cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson and safeties Jeremy Chinn, Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods.

PFF’s John Kosko writes:

The Panthers’ secondary has the pieces, with two first-round picks and three second-round picks, but they’ve not yet put it together in the NFL. Horn came on strong in his second season and allowed just a 52.6 passer rating on throws into his coverage over the year. The free-agency signing of Bell will help, but the biggest change this team made was to bring in new head coach Frank Reich and his new staff.

That new staff features defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who will be employing a switch to a 3-4 base for the unit. And while the transition and Evero’s track record of coaching up his groups are signs of hope, there’s a reason why the Panthers are 21st on this list.

Outside of Horn and Jackson, who are both currently recovering from foot injuries, there’s not much to speak of at the cornerback spot. Their depth features CJ Henderson, Keith Taylor Jr., Stantley Thomas-Oliver III and three undrafted rookies.

Plus, Chinn—despite his talent and versatility—doesn’t have a defined role just yet. Heck, he might even be playing as more of a linebacker in 2023.

So it seems, from now until the season actually starts, that there’s a lot of figuring out to do for Carolina in their secondary.

[lawrence-related id=676174,676224,676104]

NFL insider believes Panthers should add CB depth

What’s the one last move the Panthers should make this offseason? ESPN’s Field Yates believes they must address their lack of depth at CB.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

The Carolina Panthers have had themselves quite the offseason. Heck, they made a three-part documentary series about it.

But according to ESPN NFL insider Field Yates, they still need a cherry on top.

Yates, in a list released on Wednesday, made one last suggestion for each of the NFL’s 32 rosters. For the Panthers, he opts not for a resolution to the future of two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns, but instead thinks it’s the back of the defense that needs more immediate attention.

He writes:

Star cornerback Jaycee Horn missed the closing portion of OTAs and the team’s minicamp, which served as a reminder of just how thin the cornerback room is behind him. Donte Jackson is returning from a torn Achilles suffered in November, while CJ Henderson had his fifth-year option declined this offseason after a rocky first three years in the league. As is the case with most positions right now, there aren’t a ton of obvious starting-level players available, but Carolina needs to pad the depth here.

Outside of Henderson, the current depth outside of the injured starters in Horn and Jackson consists of Keith Taylor Jr., Stantley Thomas-Oliver III, Greg Mabin, Herb Miller and a trio of undrafted rookies. While Horn and Jackson are expected to be back by training camp, yeah, that ain’t much depth to speak of in any event.

A few notable names who remain in free agency include Marcus Peters, Ronald Darby, Casey Hayward, Troy Hill and Bryce Callahan.

[lawrence-related id=676093,675522,675841]

Biggest takeaways from Panthers 2023 mandatory minicamp

10 biggest takeaways from Panthers’ 2023 edition of mandatory minicamp

Carolina Panthers mandatory minicamp may have only lasted two days, but we still learned a whole lot.

Here are the 10 biggest takeaways from this spring’s workouts:

Panthers CB Donte Jackson: Jammie Robinson can be a ‘Tyrann Mathieu hybrid’

Panthers CB Donte Jackson believes rookie S Jammie Robinson can be a big difference maker early on—a Tyrann Mathieu type of difference maker, even.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

Bryce Young wasn’t the only Carolina Panthers rookie who got a bit of praise from Donte Jackson on Wednesday.

Following the final outing of mandatory minicamp this afternoon, the sixth-year cornerback had some pretty exceptional words about safety Jammie Robinson.

“Jammie—pit bull,” he said excitingly of the fifth-rounder. “He’s one of my favorite players in the DB room. One of my favorite guys to talk to. He’s just football, man. And that type of stuff you just can’t teach. He can be a difference maker early—like a Tyrann Mathieu hybrid. For real. Just the amount of ball he’s able to consume and the amount of positions he’s able to play—yeah, he can be a good player in the secondary for a long time.”

Considering how much of a dog Jackson is and how respected of a player Mathieu is amongst his peers, that’s one heck of an endorsement.

Robinson was selected with the 145th overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft. And while the 22-year-old defender was more than grateful for the opportunity, he assured reporters shortly after that there weren’t 144 guys who were better than him.

That’s a chip on his shoulder, huh? Well, then Robinson’s already on his way to hitting that Honey Badger comparison.

[lawrence-related id=675724,675809,675721]

Panthers CB Donte Jackson on Bryce Young: We’re happy with the dog we got

Panthers CB Donte Jackson said rookie QB Bryce Young is a different kind of dog.

[anyclip pubname=”2103″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8036″]

If the 2023 NFL draft pool was a dog pound of quarterbacks, the Carolina Panthers—according to Donte Jackson—couldn’t have gone wrong. Nonetheless, he’s happy with the pup that they grabbed.

The veteran cornerback and team captain spoke with reporters following the second and final session of mandatory minicamp on Wednesday. When asked of what he and his teammates thought of the organization’s choice in Bryce Young, Jackson said they actually didn’t know of the pick before it happened.

“That’s when we didn’t know who we were takin’, so we’re just excited,” he said of the squad’s group text that night. “Knowing you were gonna take one of those players—all those guys really weren’t the wrong answer. Definitely, definitely happy with the guy we chose. But, yeah, like I said—there was no wrong answer. So we knew we was gonna go get a dog and we definitely happy with the dog we got ’cause he’s different.”

Other dogs who up for adoption at the time were C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. Stroud would end up going second overall to the Houston Texans while Richardson went two spots later to the Indianapolis Colts.

But luckily for Jackson’s Panthers, they got the choice of their top dog.

[lawrence-related id=675832,675724,675798]