Chicago Bears: 15 best NFL Draft Picks of the 2010’s

Very rarely do players go from being fourth-round draft picks to first team All-Pro’s by the end of their second year in the NFL. However, Eddie Jackson is a totally different story. Throughout the 2017 draft process, Jackson slipped down draft boards due to a leg injury that he sustained coming out of college.

However, in Jackson’s rookie season, his true breakout game was against the Carolina Panthers at home where he had two 75-yard touchdowns. The first one was a fumble recovery and the second one was off a tipped pass. Since then, he’s got a total of nine interceptions for 167 yards, three of which have been returned for touchdowns.

There are two things that make Jackson number one on this entire list. First, as mentioned above, his rise from fourth-round draft pick to All-Pro in just his second season is something that not many can accomplish. And second, Jackson has made critical plays that have directly led to the Bears winning games. Two of his most notable examples include interceptions that would be returned for touchdowns in divisional games against the Detriot Lions and Minnesota Vikings back in 2018. Because of Jackson, the Bears would get two big wins that would help them win an NFC North championship.

Overall, Jackson continues to emerge as a player and an argument can be made that he’s essentially the best safety in the NFL today since on any given play, his talent and instincts are present and he can have an impact from anywhere on the field.