Carolina Panthers: Ron Rivera confident in Donte Jackson
Carolina Panthers’ rookie Donte Jackson has given head coach Ron Rivera confidence in the cornerback position, something he hasn’t had in a few years.
The position battle for the starting cornerback position opposite James Bradberry at Carolina Panthers’ training camp has been one of the more talked about this summer. It was expected to be a three person race between Ross Cockrell, Kevon Seymour and rookie Donte Jackson.
However Cockrell suffered a broken leg early in camp, leaving Seymour and Jackson to battle for the starting job. The performance of Seymour against the Buffalo Bills and the improvements of Jackson, may have ended that position battle.
After practice on Sunday, Rivera said that Jackson’s performance has made him more comfortable at the position than he has been in two years, per ESPN’s David Newton.
"The play of rookie cornerback Donte Jackson in camp hasn’t so much surprised coach Ron Rivera as it has cemented what the Panthers thought of him on draft day. Rivera says he feels more comfortable at corner with Jackson and James Bradberry playing the position than he has the past two years."
It is interesting to note that Rivera specifically mentions two years in his comments about the cornerback position. This is around the time that the Panthers not only let Josh Norman walk, but used two high draft picks on the position.
The first draft pick they used on James Bradberry, who has developed into a good cornerback who could take that next step in his career this season. However, the second pick was used on Daryl Worley.
Worley was drafted in the third round in the 2016 NFL Draft and struggled to hold onto the starting job. Last season, he was splitting time with the aforementioned Seymour and the Panthers wanted to go in another direction. The team traded him this offseason to the Philadelphia Eagles in return for wide receiver Torrey Smith.
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The Carolina Panthers defense is expected to be one of the best in the NFL this season. However, that second cornerback position opposite Bradberry is a glaring weakness. If Jackson brings stability to the position, this is one defense opposing teams will have trouble moving the ball on.