Phil Snow Believes Consistency Could Drive Donte Jackson to Become an All-Pro
The Carolina Panthers drafted Donte Jackson in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft and three years later selected Jaycee Horn with the 8th overall pick. Jackson is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is in need of a big year to remain in the picture for the Panthers' future plans.
During his first season with the new coaching staff, Jackson struggled to stay healthy as he dealt with a nagging toe injury for much of the season. Although he played in 14 of the 16 games, he played many of those games fighting through the pain and was really never at 100% at any point throughout the year. However, when he has been on the field and is at full strength, he's shown that he can be a trustworthy corner but does have to become more reliable on a weekly basis.
Jackson himself admitted that consistency is something that he needs to improve on but he knows that he has full-fledged confidence from the coaching staff.
"I don't feel like I had to prove myself to them but I had to prove myself to me," Jackson said. "That's what Coach Rhule and this staff have been big on. They knew the type of player I was from the start. The trust, the belief, and the confidence in me were always there. Injuries and stuff happen, it's just stuff that you have to fight through but for the most part, I thought my game rose a lot last year just from a leading standpoint and just from an understanding football and everything slowing down for me standpoint."
Panthers' defensive coordinator Phil Snow told the media on Wednesday that he could be one of the better corners in the league if he is able to stay healthy and once again, show consistency.
"His talent, his movement skills, I don't know that there's much better in football. The more consistent he gets, the more big plays he'll make. He has exceptional ball skills and exceptional movement. So, the more consistent he gets, the sky is the limit. Now, he's got to stay healthy too. Last year, he only played 400 snaps and had three picks. If he starts to play 800-1,000, then he's six or seven interceptions and now you're an All-Pro. Hopefully, he continues to grow that way."
Jackson says that his foot has been "feeling great" and that the injury did not require any type of surgery this offseason.
"Just rest and got some treatment. I have a person out in New Orleans who was doing a lot of stuff for me. I've been getting my treatment and staying on top of it and just trying to stay proactive to not let old things come back but it's been feeling great."
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