Drafting in the NFL can be a complete crapshoot. Hitting once in the first round over a five-year span feels like a win for some franchises. The Green Bay Packers struck gold drafting Jaire Alexander in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. But as great as that pick was, the Josh Jackson selection in Round 2 was as inversely disappointing.
With Jackson being traded to the New York Giants on Tuesday, the dream of the two becoming a lockdown duo officially came to an end.
Flashback to the 2018 draft. The Packers needed cornerback help coming off a season in which they ranked 23rd in passing defense. Mike Pettine had been hired to take over as defensive coordinator. His blueprint was still somewhat foggy to those on the outside looking in, but it was clear secondary help was needed.
The Packers drafted Jaire Alexander with the 18th-overall pick. A flashy, uber-confident cornerback out of Louisville, many believed he would go somewhere in the first two rounds.
Alexander has since become one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL. His instincts are top tier, his trash-talking is just as good, and his infectious personality can’t be taught. Players either have it, or they don’t, and Alexander does. It’s become clear just three years later that the pick was an absolute home run.
Jackson was supposed to be his partner in crime, his lockdown partner on the other side of the field.
Most will forget that there was wide speculation that the Packers were targeting Josh Jackson with their first-round pick. Had they selected Jackson then, nobody would’ve batted an eye. He graded out as a first-round talent for most analysts, and the headlines after he was selected in Round 2 had phrases like “steal of the round,” “incredible value pick,” and “A+ pick” carved into them.
Picks not panning out is nothing new. It happens to every team every draft. What made this case study most intriguing is that the Packers drafted cornerbacks with back-to-back picks, and many believed at the time that they should’ve taken Jackson before Alexander.
Jackson was a unanimous All-American in his 2017 season at the University of Iowa. He became a true ballhawk, intercepting eight passes in his final campaign in Iowa City and taking home Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year honors. While he didn’t display dazzling speed, Jackson was known for his instinctual play and his good frame with long arms. In fact, this is how his NFL.com draft profile read at the time:
Long-armed ball-hawk who understands how to maximize his length to disrupt the catch and take it away. Jackson could be labeled a “one-year wonder”, but 27 passes defensed in a single season isn’t random. He’s talented but inexperienced and he has coverage holes that could be exploited early in his career. Jackson’s draft stock likely took a hit with his average forty time and United work in position drills. However, he is armed with route anticipation, ball skills, and NFL length that teams covet in a press-man corner. It may take time, but the tools are there to be an early starter.
It never panned out for Jackson.
Jackson was picked apart in the first half of Green Bay’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans in his most recent performance. It became obvious that the Texans were picking on the 2018 second-round pick because they believed it gave them the best chance for success. They were correct.
Coming into this offseason, Jackson was in a prove-it situation.
He had filled in for an injured Kevin King during the early and middle stages of last season. In fact, he had done so without drawing much attention, and for Jackson, that usually meant good things. Most corners want the spotlight because it usually means the highlight-reel play is being made. For Jackson, if his play was being discussed, it usually wasn’t a glowing review.
Given how well he filled in for King, it was somewhat surprising to then see Jackson as a healthy scratch down the stretch run of the season. Not seeing snaps or playing time is one thing; being a healthy inactive player indicated how Green Bay viewed his value.
And after just one preseason game in 2021, the Packers traded him to the Giants — for another cornerback.
Hopefully, the change of scenery does Jackson well, and he balls out for the Giants. It never seemed like there was a lack of effort on Jackson’s part — it just flat-out didn’t work for him in Green Bay. He’ll have a breath of fresh air in a new uniform and a chance to hit the reset button.
Green Bay couldn’t have done better at No. 18 when they selected Jaire Alexander. But the tale of the 2018 draft will always include Josh Jackson as well.
