5 Carolina Panthers players with genuine superstar potential
By Josh Linares
Donte Jackson – CB
The Carolina Panthers have struggled in the secondary ever since Josh Norman left following his amazing 2015 season. They have been unable to find great players in free agency since then and their draft picks haven’t blossomed into anything special, except for one player.
Donte Jackson was a very good cornerback during his time at LSU. He entered the draft in 2018 and was selected in the second round by the Panthers. Since then he has been the best corner on their defense.
In his rookie year he proved to be a great pick by the Panthers, finishing the season with four interceptions, nine passes defended, and 74 total tackles. Carolina has had a lot of defensive troubles over the past few seasons but Jackson has been one of the lone bright spots in the weak secondary.
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This past season Jackson continued to improve but only played ten games and finished the season with three interceptions, eight passes defended, and 40 total tackles.
Jackson stands at 5-foot-10 inches and is extremely athletic. He plays the ball very well when it’s in the air and takes pride in winning those situations. The corner is great in both man and zone coverage and can stick with any receiver in the league.
Jackson will get every opportunity he needs to prove he is an elite secondary player and has all the skills to become one of the best corners in the league. The player won’t have former head coach Ron Rivera to help him on the defensive side of the ball. But Matt Rhule and Phil Snow are no slouches on defense and have had success with corners like Xavien Howard.
If Jackson can stay healthy this season he has a chance to take a huge step this season. He has two years under his belt and has played against the best receivers in the league, a couple of them twice a year. He is a must-watch player on the Panthers defense this season.