Eddie Jackson made his second-straight Pro Bowl in 2019 for the Chicago Bears. Many critics felt it was undeserved. Likely because he didn’t put up the same number as the previous season with just two interceptions. This overshadowed the other things he did on the field including a much greater presence around the line of scrimmage. Something experts felt he couldn’t do. Considering the Bears again finished top 5 in defense, it’s safe to say he can. This is why Tyrann Mathieu doesn’t get a lot of these critics.
The Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion defensive back appeared on the 2 for 1 Drafts podcast with Mike Renner and Austin Gayle to talk about his success and aspects of playing his position. Inevitably the conversation came around to asking his opinion on who the best safeties are in the game. The elite guys. Aside from himself, he listed Harrison Smith, Derwin James, Jamal Adams, and Jackson.
He didn’t stop there. Mathieu is apparently quite the admirer of the Bears star.
“Obviously Eddie Jackson. His ballhawking ability. Probably is the best Cover 4 safety in the National Football League. Period. Harrison Smith is probably #2. But yeah Eddie, he’s great at what he does.”
Tyrann Mathieu thinks Jackson is a new-wave type of guy
One of the things that Mathieu pointed out about safety is how the position is evolving. Back in the old days, defenses had traditional roles. There was the free safety who played deep coverage and then the strong safety who played around the line of scrimmage. Some teams still do that. However, the veteran believes schemes are changing where the demand is higher for guys who display more of a cornerback skillset.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
This because offenses are adopting tons of spread tendencies, which demands an ability to cover more space. This is why Jackson has thrived. He is a safety but his range and coverage instincts could easily be misconstrued for a corner. He’s one of those guys sort of paving the way for a new generation at that position.
Mathieu knows about struggling to get proper recognition. He’s used it to fuel his fire for years. Jackson is doing much the same.