Tag: Jordan Jackson

Jordan Jackson is an underdog story with the Broncos

“His story is a great one relative to making this team,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of defensive lineman Jordan Jackson.

After playing college football for the Air Force Falcons, defensive lineman Jordan Jackson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 2022.

He spent his rookie season on the Saints’ practice squad and then signed with the Denver Broncos in 2023. After that, Jackson spent his second season in the NFL on Denver’s practice squad.

This summer, Jackson was considered a practice squad candidate once again, but he beat the odds and ended up on the team’s 53-man roster after impressing during preseason.

“I would say the thing that stood out the most is his ability to get on an edge,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked about Jackson earlier this week. “He’s tough to block, he’s disciplined and I think his story is a great one relative to making this team. He did it during training camp. When we talk about, ‘We’re keeping the best players regardless of once they’ve gotten here, how they’ve gotten here,’ that’s of no importance to us. He’s a good example of that.”

Jackson, 26, has dressed for all eight games this season as a rotational defensive lineman. He has totaled nine tackles on 164 defensive snaps. Jackson was an underdog this summer and he’s carried that mentality into the season and he continues to beat the odds in Denver.

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Broncos GM George Paton gushes with praise for DL Jordan Jackson

“Love the way he goes about his business,” Paton said of Jordan Jackson. “Smart, tough, athletic and I think he can keep getting better.”

After playing college football for the Air Force Falcons, defensive lineman Jordan Jackson was picked by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He spent his rookie season on the Saints’ practice squad and then signed a deal with the Denver Broncos in 2023.

Jackson (6-4, 294 pounds) failed to make Denver’s 53-man roster last summer but he was signed to the practice squad, where he spent the entire 2023 campaign. Jackson returned this year and impressed in preseason and won a spot on the active roster ahead of the 2024 season.

“We saw development,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said last week. “If we’re charting the early part of his pro career, we just saw a tick up. We saw it in practice, we saw it in the game. I would say we’re a little bit more one-gap driven now. I think that’s benefited him. In other words, he can get to an edge. So we were encouraged. He wasn’t a borderline decision.”

Jackson totaled two sacks in the team’s preseason finale, a performance that pleased general manager George Paton.

“Jordan has really improved since we got him, and I would say he’s gotten stronger,” Paton said last week. “He’s always had the athletic ability. He was a [project] of mine when he was at Air Force. We were going to draft him, but the Saints took him. So we monitored him, and then obviously we were able to get him on our roster. Again he’s been athletic.

“He could always rush, and now he’s gotten stronger, playing with better leverage and learning the defense more. He really fits what Vance [Joseph] is doing up front. He got better really each and every preseason game, and then obviously finished with a bang. [I] love the way he goes about his business. [He’s] smart, tough, athletic and I think he can keep getting better.”

Listed behind Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach on the depth chart, Jackson will begin the season as a rotational backup defensive lineman. The first step was making the 53-man roster. Now he has to prove he can make an impact on game days. Paton and Payton are confident Jackson will reward their confidence in him.

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12 hardest and most surprising cuts on Broncos’ projected 53-man roster

These were the hardest players to cut on our projected 53-man roster for the Broncos.

After wrapping up preseason on Sunday, Denver Broncos general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton must now trim the squad from 91 players down to a 53-man roster by Tuesday afternoon.

Before the cuts begin (likely later today), we put together one final 53-man roster prediction for the Broncos. It featured a dozen difficult decisions, and some of the players we cut might be surprising to fans in Denver.

At wide receiver, for example, Brandon Johnson was cut despite scoring a 46-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. On the defensive line, Jordan Jackson was cut after totaling two sacks on Sunday. Pass rusher Dondrea Tillman is also a cut candidate despite his standout performance in the preseason finale.

Linebacker Levelle Bailey’s 94-yard pick-six didn’t guarantee him a spot on the squad. Safety Keidron Smith’s three preseason takeaways weren’t enough for him to make it, either.

Such is life in the NFL.

12 hardest (projected) Broncos roster cuts

1. WR Brandon Johnson
2. RB Tyler Badie
3. RB Blake Watson
4. OL Nick Gargiulo
5. OL Sam Mustipher
6. OT Alex Palczewski
7. DL Jordan Jackson
8. DL Matt Henningsen
9. OLB Dondrea Tillman
10. ILB Levelle Bailey
11. DB Keidron Smith
12. P Riley Dixon

If they clear waivers, most of the above players would likely return on the practice squad. Our projected cuts are also just that — projections. Several of these players could end up making the 53-man roster. We’ll find out soon enough. All of Denver’s roster cuts will be tracked on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos roster series: No. 94, DL Jordan Jackson

After spending last season on the practice squad, Broncos DL Jordan Jackson will aim to make some noise at training camp.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at first-year* defensive lineman Jordan Jackson, No. 94.

Before the Broncos: Jackson (6-4, 294 pounds) played college football for the Air Force Falcons. He totaled 29.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage during his time with the Falcons, tied for eighth-most in academy history. He earned second-team all-conference recognition two times with the Air Force before entering the NFL draft in 2022.

The New Orleans Saints picked Jackson in the sixth round of the draft in 2022 and he spent his rookie season on their practice squad.

Broncos tenure: Denver signed Jackson in 2023 and he spent the entire season on the team’s practice squad. He is yet to appear in a regular season game in the NFL.

*Though he has been in the league since 2022, the NFL lists Jackson as a “first-year player” because he does not have an “accrued season,” which is at least six games on the active roster or reserve in the same season.

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Long shot. Jackson is competing in a crowded defensive line room. His best chance to stick around in 2024 will likely be on the practice squad.

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Broncos sign 12 players to reserve/future contract

The Broncos signed 12 players to reserve/future contracts on Monday. They will officially join the 90-man offseason roster in March.

Following the conclusion of their 2023 season, the Denver Broncos have signed 12 players to reserve/future contracts.

Perhaps the most notable signing is that of quarterback Ben DiNucci, who spent all of the 2023 season on the practice squad and was elevated to Denver’s game-day roster three times.

With Russell Wilson expected to be released in March, DiNucci and Jarrett Stidham will be left as the Broncos’ two quarterbacks going into 2024. Denver will likely add at least one more QB, either through free agency or the draft (or both) this spring.

Players who were not on an active roster at the end of the season are eligible to sign reserve/future contracts (every player on the practice squad is eligible, for example). These players will officially join the 90-man offseason roster when the NFL’s new league year begins on March 13.

Here’s a look at the 12 players the Broncos have signed to future deals.

8 ex-Saints reunited with Sean Payton on Broncos’ roster

Broncos coach Sean Payton has brought in eight former Saints who played for him in New Orleans. Here’s the full list.

Since becoming the Denver Broncos’ head coach in February, Sean Payton has signed several former New Orleans Saints. The veteran coach also traded for a former Saints during the draft, acquiring tight end Adam Trautman in April.

The ex-Saints coach has also signed seven former New Orleans players as free agents. In addition to Trautman, Payton also brought in fellow tight end Chris Manhertz, who is known for his blocking ability.

Denver has also signed former Saints wide receivers Marquez Callaway and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, plus running backs Tony Jones and Dwayne Washington. To block for those running backs, fullback Michael Burton was also signed.

On special teams, Payton signed kicker Brett Maher, who kicked for the Saints in 2021.

Additionally, the Broncos have a ninth former Saint, defensive lineman Jordan Jackson, but he played in New Orleans last fall when Payton was taking a break from coaching.

Here’s a look at each former Saint who reunited with Broncos coach Sean Payton in Denver.

Broncos offseason roster: No. 90, DL Jordan Jackson

After spending last season on the Saints’ practice squad, Jordan Jackson will aim to win a spot on Denver’s d-line depth chart this summer.

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Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at first-year defensive lineman Jordan Jackson, No. 90.

Before the Broncos: Jackson (6-4, 294 pounds) played college football for the United States Air Force Academy, totaling 130 tackles (27 behind the line), 12.5 sacks, five pass breakups and one forced fumble in three seasons (36 games). He was picked by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of last year’s NFL draft but failed to make their 53-man roster. Jackson spent his rookie season on the Saints’ practice squad in 2022.

Broncos tenure: Denver signed Jackson to a reserve/future contract in January and he officially joined the 90-man offseason roster in March. Because he did not play in any games last year, Jackson is considered a “first-year” player even though he is entering his second season.

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Jackson won’t be a favorite to make the active roster, but the Broncos will have several spots up for the grabs on the defensive line this summer so he will get an opportunity to compete for a role. Jackson seems to be a quality practice squad candidate who has an outside chance to make the 53-man roster.

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Looking back on every sixth-round Saints draft pick since 2002

We’re looking back on every sixth-round New Orleans Saints draft pick since 2002, an area the team has struggled to find great value under Mickey Loomis:

We’re looking back on every sixth-round New Orleans Saints draft pick since 2002, a round the team has struggled to find great value under longtime general manager Mickey Loomis. The Saints have made 16 picks in Round 6 in this span, but there aren’t many memorable players to choose from. It’s important to keep that in mind when looking at the draft capital available to the team and which prospects are on the board in next week’s 2023 NFL draft.

You can find our previous breakdowns by round below:

Saints have 4 players accounting for $5 million in dead money for 2023

The New Orleans Saints have four players accounting for $5 million in dead money for 2023, but that number could soon increase five or six times over:

There’s a lot of work to be done in getting the new Orleans Saints under the 2023 salary cap, but don’t blame players no longer on the roster. For once, the Saints don’t have many dead money commitments from past retirements and roster mistakes — just four players are on the books right now who won’t be playing for New Orleans in the fall. As things currently stand, they won’t have any dead money leftover at all in 2024. It’s the healthiest this area of the operation has been in years.

But it won’t last. While the Saints are forfeiting $5,038,479 right now in dead money (per Over The Cap), that number could increase five times over in just a few weeks should a couple of free agents sign with other teams. And any players designated as post-June 1 cuts will factor into the 2024 salary cap mathematics. Let’s break it down:

2022 Saints draft pick Jordan Jackson signs with the Broncos

Jordan Jackson spent his rookie year on the Saints practice squad after New Orleans picked him in the 2022 draft. Now he’s signed with the Broncos in search of a fresh start:

That’s not the best use of a draft pick, but we’ve seen worse from the New Orleans Saints. KUSA 9 Denver’s Mike Klis reports that the Denver Broncos have signed defensive tackle Jordan Jackson to a reserve/future deal after his practice squad contract expired with New Orleans. The Saints drafted Jackson in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft out of the Air Force Academy but stashed him on the practice squad for his entire rookie year, never calling him up for a game.

It’s a bit surprising given the only defensive tackle the Saints have under contract for 2023 is Prince Emili, who joined Jackson on the practice squad last season. It shouldn’t be hard for New Orleans to re-sign free agents like Shy Tuttle, Kentavius Street, and Malcolm Roach, and they should be able to cut a deal with veteran starter David Onyemata, but that group didn’t perform very well anyway.

Still, this isn’t what you want to see from a rookie draft pick. The Saints never gave Jackson a shot in a game and went with other players signed off the street instead, so it makes sense for him to go searching for a fresh start in a different locale. Late-round picks like these (Jackson was selected at No. 194 overall) are more like scratch-off lottery tickets, but you’d still like to see New Orleans get a better return on that investment than losing a player just months after calling his name on draft day. Hopefully they can make better use of those resources in April’s 2023 NFL draft.

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