Veteran cornerback should be part of 2025’s plans

I was the biggest skeptic when Pittsburgh traded away all-time top ten Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson to Carolina for cornerback Donte Jackson.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight, we can say that the move paid off for Pittsburgh. Johnson bounced around the league like a pinball, while Jackson had arguably the best season of his career.

Individual accomplishments aside, the Steelers’ defense went from being among the best in franchise history after ten weeks to having a historic letdown in the final month. Changes are coming to the defensive side of the ball, but the front office’s priority there should be to keep at least one thing the same. Donte Jackson deserves another contract in Pittsburgh.

This @Steelers defense 🔒 Donte Jackson INT!

📺: #PITvsATL on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/M5C6TTuLgH

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

Jackson entered a young cornerback room and responded with his best season yet. In a system that emphasized takeaways, Jackson racked up five interceptions, tied for second-best in the AFC, and his most in a single season. His interception late in the fourth quarter in Atlanta sealed the victory in Week 1. Like much of the Steelers’ defense in 2024, Jackson’s first half of the season was top-tier. Later in the year, he played through a nagging back injury that forced him to miss two games. It was during this time that opposing offenses targeted him more. His PFF coverage grades became some of the lowest in the league. But pass rush and coverage always go hand-in-hand. It’s no coincidence that Jackson’s weakest performances correlate with the games with the least impressive pass rush. On the flip side, PFF gave Jackson above-average grades against the run.

Donte Jackson with zero fear pic.twitter.com/X1dBWOp30m

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 18, 2024

Despite any perceived weakness in coverage, Jackson is still a perfect fit for the cornerback room and fills a key need with the group. He brings a veteran presence to a young room that includes Joey Porter Jr., Cory Trice, and Beanie Bishop. His signing would give the front office more freedom at the draft, instead of creating an urgency at the position. Jackson isn’t the best corner on the free agent market, but he’s in the top ten. He’ll probably demand more than the $6 million he made in 2024, but not the $12 million+ per year that will go to the top defensive backs.

Donte Jackson Pick! #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/tKvNRw2H9Q

— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) December 1, 2024

The alternative would surely set the Steelers back. Letting Jackson walk creates an extremely thin cornerback room that would require immediate investment through both free agency and the draft. Any free agent signing that is an obvious upgrade from Jackson will cost more than any corner since Joe Haden. There’s no need to invest that much in the “world’s most expensive defense.” Plus, it’s unclear how a newcomer would mesh with the team, especially when communication is an issue preventing the defense from ascending to the next level.

Investing early draft capital at the position would also be required, and Pittsburgh has a checkered history with drafting early-round defensive backs. For every successful pick like Joey Porter Jr., there are players like Curtis Brown and Justin Layne who are not remembered as fondly.

Over the last five years, the Steelers have struggled to find a long-term solution at cornerback. They’ve tried bringing in Levi Wallace, Patrick Peterson, and Ahkello Witherspoon. None of them ended up sticking around. Donte Jackson can give the team the short-term stability it hasn’t had in a while.

A two-to-three-year deal allows Pittsburgh to continue to see what they have with Trice without forcing their hand in the draft just yet. If there’s a corner in this draft that Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin like, that’s great. But the bigger roster priorities are defensive line, receiver, and quarterback. Jackson is the best option at the best price and fit for Teryl Austin’s splash-focused scheme.