Man, talk about a quick turnaround: the Green Bay Packers are straight up waiving rookie cornerback Domani Jackson, their 201st overall pick from the April draft, right at the crucial cutdown deadline. This isn’t just a tough break for a kid; it signals some real defensive concerns brewing in Green Bay right before the season kicks off.
From Draft Pick to Cut List: What Went Wrong
Jackson’s time with the Packers was short and rocky. After getting picked 201st overall back in April, he already missed the start of camp recovering from core surgery. He had his Week 2 debut in preseason and, honestly, looked “alright.” You want to see growth, right? Well, that didn’t happen. By the preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, reports say he had a “poor performance.” Yikes. The Packers apparently still see *something* in him, though, as they want him to re-sign with their practice squad. That’s a tiny silver lining for the kid, but it’s a far cry from being a draft pick making the 53-man roster.
Secondary Woes Go Way Deeper Than One Rookie
Here’s the kicker: Jackson wasn’t the only defensive back struggling out there for Green Bay. No, seriously, it sounds like a mess. “All of the Packers’ third-string defensive backs struggled” when the games were live this preseason. We’re talking about a unit that gave up three consecutive touchdowns in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ last offensive drives, costing them that game. And then against the Cardinals, they let a whopping 38 points hit the board. That’s not just “struggling,” that’s getting absolutely torched! Now, the “good news,” according to reports, is that these third-stringers aren’t supposed to see much regular season action. But still, when your depth looks this shaky, it’s a red flag.
Down to Nine DBs: A Risky Bet for the Season?
So, with Jackson gone, what’s left? The Packers have reportedly shed seven defensive backs from their original 91-man roster, leaving them with just nine players in the entire secondary. Think about that for a second. The NFL demands at least nine defensive backs, because five are on the field all the time, and these guys carry a massive special teams burden too. The remaining crew who “seem likely to make the squad” are: cornerbacks Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Brandon Cisse, and Benjamin St-Juste, along with safeties Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, and Kitan Oladapo, plus slot corner Kamal Hadden. This is the group they’re going with.
As the regular season is set to kick off, the spotlight is going to be shining bright on this remaining nine-man secondary. Given the struggles we’ve already seen, every snap is going to be crucial. Can this core group hold it together when the bullets are truly flying? That’s the million-dollar question for Green Bay right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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