Williams Jackson trade grades for Steelers, Commanders: Pittsburgh acquires disgruntled cornerback

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the busiest team at the 2022 NFL trade deadline. Less than an hour after they shipped wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick, they added a cornerback in the form of William Jackson III from the Washington Commanders, CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson reports. The trade for Jackson involves a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025 being swapped for a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick, according to NFL Media. 

The former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback is back in the AFC North after just 16 games with Washington. Despite signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the Commanders prior to the 2021 campaign, things went awry for Jackson in D.C. Last month, NFL.com reported that Jackson wanted a fresh start with another team, and the Commanders agreed to search for a trade partner. His last action came in Week 5. 

Jackson reportedly was not happy with the amount of zone coverage he was playing in Washington, as he considers himself a man-to-man defensive back. In 16 games played for Washington, Jackson recorded 55 combined tackles, 10 passes defensed and two interceptions. 

Money was likely a hurdle in this transaction, as Jackson’s base salary in 2023 is $9.25 million, per Spotrac. His AAV of $13.5 million ranks 14th in the NFL, per Over The Cap. As NFL Media points out, Jackson worked with Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin during their time together in Cincinnati. This addition aids what is statistically the second-worst pass defense in the NFL, as the Steelers allow 277.3 passing yards per game. Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles torched Pittsburgh’s secondary in a 35-13 beatdown, as A.J. Brown caught…