The Steelers acquired cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round pick, the 178th overall, from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for receiver Diontae Johnson and a 2024 seventh-round pick, the 240th overall.
Jackson, who will be entering his seventh season, was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the 55th overall pick.
“It’s a little bit surreal now,” Jackson said in an interview for SNR Drive. “It’s one thing getting traded to a team, it’s another thing getting traded to a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, a franchise I have been admiring for a very long time, since childhood. I am super blessed. Just ready to get to work.
“I always admired the Steelers. I always admired what this logo stood for and the greatness that comes with it. I am ready to tap into that greatness.”
Jackson played in 80 games in six seasons for the Panthers, starting 76. He has 302 tackles, 247 of them solo stops, 46 passes defensed, 15 tackles for a loss, 14 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and one sack.
Jackson holds several Panthers’ records, including the second-most interceptions in his first three seasons with 10. He also became the first player in team history to return a two-point conversion attempt for a defensive score when he intercepted Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees in Week 15 in 2018, returning it 98 yards for a touchdown.
In 2023 he started 16 games, recording 59 tackles, including 49 solo stops, and a career-high five tackles for a loss. He also had five passes defensed and one forced fumble.
Jackson played at LSU where he appeared in 37 games, starting 25. He recorded 116 tackles, four tackles for a loss, four interceptions, 22 pass breakups and one sack. He was also named Sporting News Second Team All-American and All-SEC Second Team in his final season (2017) after recording 51 tackles, three and a half tackles for a loss, one sack and one interception.
