Seattle Seahawks Trade CB Mike Jackson to Panthers, Acquire Rookie LB Michael Barrett

After three seasons with the Seahawks, veteran cornerback Mike Jackson was traded to the Carolina Panthers for seventh-round rookie linebacker Michael Barrett.

Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett celebrates a play against Alabama during the first half of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Seattle Seahawks traded cornerback Mike Jackson to the Carolina Panthers on Thursday in exchange for rookie linebacker Michael Barrett — a seventh-round pick out of Michigan in April’s draft.

The player swap all but confirms that fourth-year cornerback Tre Brown had secured a decent lead on Jackson as Seattle’s third corner in training camp and the preseason. He will now be the shoo-in for that job behind Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon.

Trading one of the two away was always a possibility for the Seahawks, as that room had grown crowded with the team bringing in two rookie draft picks in Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James. Artie Burns has also re-emerged as a quality slot corner, and undrafted rookie Dee Williams has been floated as a 53-man roster candidate with his special teams capabilities and untapped potential at the position after moving from wide receiver. Something had to give.

Seattle now gets a compact, coverage middle linebacker in Barrett (5-11, 233 pounds), who spent six seasons at Michigan and totaled 208 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions and six passes defensed in 61 games played. He redshirted his first season with the Wolverines, and also played under Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald at Michigan in 2021.

In his final two college seasons, Barrett piled up 137 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks two interceptions, five passes defensed and three forced fumbles — accounting for most of the production in his career. Barrett flew under the radar in the draft as he shared a linebacker room with 2024 third-round pick Junior Colson.

Barrett was the Panthers’ highest-graded defensive player in their preseason Week 2 loss to the New York Jets (81.6 grade), playing 17 defensive snaps and finishing with three total tackles.

The inside linebacker room is also getting crowded for Seattle, as the team made moves to bring in Blake Lynch and Easton Gibbs just over the past few weeks. Considering the Seahawks liked Barrett enough to trade for him, it’s unlikely they allow him to hit waivers after final cutdowns.

Then again, the move could have been more about clearing things up at corner and bringing in another player on a trial basis ahead of the team’s final preseason game to create additional competition at linebacker.

Veteran Jerome Baker has returned to practice in a limited capacity, but the Seahawks have been banged up at that position with few players that have regular season experience.

Jackson concludes his three-year Seattle career with 111 tackles, five tackles for loss, one interception and 19 passes defensed in 36 games with the team (21 starts). The former 2019 fifth-round pick by the Detroit Lions arrived on Seattle’s practice squad in 2021 and battled his way to playing time over the next year. He started all 17 games opposite Riq Woolen in 2022.

A willing tackler, Jackson stood out via his physicality as a corner — a trait that will keep him in contention for a starting job no matter what team he’s on.