Predicting the Chicago Bears stars of the preseason
2. Eddie Jackson, S
The Chicago Bears have a ton of interesting rookies who we should be keeping a close eye on in the preseason. However, only one of them is a major threat to be an immediate starter in the regular season. That guy is safety Eddie Jackson.
The Bears drafted Jackson in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. Jackson had an impressive career at the University of Alabama, starring as a playmaker in the secondary. Half way through his college career, Jackson converted to safety from RB cornerback position and immediately found a perfect home for his skills. He starred as a deep coverage safety for the Crimson Tide for two years before breaking his leg late last season.
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Jackson shows elite natural coverage skills from the safety position. He has good speed and shows impressive range on the back-end. His ball skills are top-notch and he has a knack for creating turnovers. The Bears like to play with one deep safety whenever possible and Jackson is a perfect fit for that position.
He has been impressive early in training camp and appears primed to push Adrian Amos for the starting safety spot next to Quintin Demps. Amos has been a decent starter for the Bears the last two years, but he has lapses deep in coverage far too often. Jackson is the more talented player in coverage and undoubtedly has more long-term upside. Amos can still be valuable as the Bears’ third safety, but Jackson should get every opportunity to win the starting job.
When t comes down to it, I expect Jackson to prove that he has what it takes to be the Bears starting free safety in 2017. He will likely get ample opportunity to prove himself in the preseason and he will make the most of it. Chicago Bears rookie safety Eddie Jackson will ride a strong preseason to a starting safety position for the 2017 season. You can take that to the bank.