Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: CB Mike Jackson - Still In Mix to Start?

Though the Seattle Seahawks drafted his replacement with a top-five pick in April, Mike Jackson got off to a fast start in the team's offseason program and the competitive veteran doesn't intend to hand over his job quietly.

Corbin K. Smith | Jul 7, 2023

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Mike Jackson, Cornerback

Height/Weight: 6-1, 210 pounds

2022 Stats: 75 tackles, one interception, 11 pass breakups

Breaking into the NFL as a fifth-round pick with the Cowboys in 2019, Jackson never played a regular season game for the team, instead signing with the Lions off of the practice squad and played in one game. Continuing to bounce around the league, he was traded to the Patriots in mid-August 2020, eventually appearing in the season finale and registering his first NFL tackle. Joining his fourth team in three years, the Seahawks signed him to their practice squad after the Patriots cut him in August 2021 and when injuries struck in the secondary in December, he impressed stepping into the lineup with a pair of pass breakups in the end zone to deny touchdowns in a win over the Lions.

Catching the attention of coach Pete Carroll and Seattle's staff, Jackson returned on a future/reserve deal and when veterans Sidney Jones and Artie Burns dealt with nagging injuries in training camp last summer, he seized his opportunity getting reps with the first-team defense and earned a Week 1 starting nod. Playing well in his first extended NFL action across from star rookie Riq Woolen, he started all 17 games and signed his exclusive rights tender to return for a third season with the organization.

Best-Case Scenario: Despite the arrival of top-five pick Devon Witherspoon, Jackson maintains momentum coming off an outstanding offseason program and while he doesn't retain his starting job from a year ago, with Witherspoon playing significant snaps in the slot, he receives action in nickel and dime sets as an impactful rotational boundary cornerback.

Worst-Case Scenario: Thoroughly outplayed by Witherspoon in training camp and preseason games, Jackson loses his starting job and barely sniffs the field on defense, limiting him to special teams duty as a reserve and setting the stage for the veteran to go elsewhere in 2024.

What to Expect in 2023: Before the 2023 NFL Draft, in large part due to Jackson's solid play as a starter last season and affordable cost under club control for at least one more season, few expected the Seahawks to invest an early draft pick at the cornerback position. But the organization couldn't pass up on the chance to draft the uber-talented Witherspoon, which immediately put the veteran on notice despite having recently signed his exclusive rights free agent tender.

Rather than sulk about the situation, however, the gritty Jackson reported to offseason activities with no intention of surrendering his starting job without a valiant fight, drawing praise from Carroll for his efforts in a dominant spring. Since Seattle used such a high pick on Witherspoon, the rookie will get every chance to win the job opposite of Woolen once camp opens, but after scratching and clawing to a starting role in the Pacific Northwest, don't be surprised if the former Hurricane standout keeps things interesting and potentially carves out a situational role for himself on defense even with the newcomer on board.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

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Published Jul 7, 2023

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.