Donte Jackson Reveals Steelers CB Plans

The Pittsburgh Steelers already have a plan for how to use their top two cornerbacks.

Dec 31, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson (26) waits during the timeout against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports / Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- If there's one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers' cornerbacks room has in abundance, it's confidence. After second-year star Joey Porter Jr. came out earlier in the week and declared himself the best cornerback in the NFL, his teammate Donte Jackson felt he should be in that conversation too and every corner worth their salt should too.

Jackson, who came to the Steelers via a trade with the Carolina Panthers, said he doesn't expect to playing a different brand of football for his new team. Porter Jr. may be the de facto No. 1 corner, but Jackson is confident he could be a top cover corner as well when given the chance.

"You ask me that same question, I'm going to say the same thing," Jackson said. "I've played in this league six years, I've been a match-follow guy, I told you how many systems I've been in. One thing that's always stood the test of time is my ability to make plays, my ability to go out there and match up against the best guys, my ability to go out there and hit, tackle. So I feel like when it comes to playing corner, you can make all the rankings but I feel like I'm a complete guy."

Part of Jackson's confidence comes from what the Steelers told him when he was traded to Pittsburgh. Jackson said one of his first meetings with the team following his trade involved discussions about his role with the team and he's excited about what head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have in store for him.

"First thing that happened when I got traded here was they said 'Get ready to match guys, get ready to go follow guys, get ready to go do what we know you do well,'" Jackson said. "Tackling is one of my strong suits - people don't think at my size that I want to come up and hit. So that's another thing that stood out and why they knew I'd be a perfect corner in this system and show my talents, what I've been doing my whole career, on this big stage."

Jackson added that he and Porter have been switching sides regularly during the first two weeks of Organized Team Activities. With the Steelers planning on assigning each a specific wide receiver to mirror each game, Jackson said he and Porter need to be ready to meet their assignment wherever he is on the field.

The Steelers appear to have their starting cornerback duo set for the coming season and Jackson, ever confident himself, is excited to see what he and Porter can do for a defense that already has stars at all three levels.

"With a young guy, you love that confidence. Joey spent a lot of the season last year following guys, matching them and he did a really good job," Jackson said. "So to know that he's coming in this season with that confidence, it only gets you excited to see what he can do."

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