The Green Bay Packers are counting on Day 2 and 3 rookies quickly developing to help the team get back to the top of the NFC North this fall. But entering Week 2 of the preseason, it doesn’t appear cornerback Domani Jackson is going to be one of those rookies.
SI on Packers’ Bill Huber went through Green Bay’s entire rookie class player-by-player Monday to provide a status report on each individual. Huber reported Jackson’s stock is trending downward.
“After missing the offseason practices following core-muscle surgery, Jackson was limited to individual drills at the start of training camp. He was out on Family Night, though, and a few other practices before returning this week. He still hasn’t taken part in team drills,” wrote Huber.
“While it’s not true that you can’t make the club in the tub, it’s getting late in a hurry. Maybe his upside will win him the 53rd roster spot.”
The Packers grabbed Jackson at No. 201 overall in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. During his four-year college career, he played at USC and Alabama.
As of Monday, Jackson has fewer than two weeks to get back on the field before roster cutdown day. The Packers have to trim their roster to 53 players by 6 pm ET on August 30.
Will Rookie CB Domani Jackson Make Packers Initial Roster?
GettyThe Green Bay Packers selected cornerback Domani Jackson in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’s not shocking Huber considers Jackson trending in the wrong direction. The best an injured rookie could hope for is keeping the status quo. If that were happening, though, other players on the field for Green Bay would probably be trending downwards.
Late Day 3 picks typically have to prove themselves in training camp and the preseason. They aren’t guaranteed roster spots. That makes keeping injured late Day 3 selections hard to justify.
In the 2026 draft process, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein argued Jackson’s traits didn’t match his college production. To put it positively, as Huber said it, Jackson has untapped upside.
Perhaps that buys him some extra time even if he remains injured. But in a perfect world, Jackson needs to get on the field soon to prove he can begin having better production with his talent.
Brandon Cisse, Other Packers Rookies Trending Upward
GettySI on Packers’ Bill Huber reported Monday rookie cornerback Domani Jackson is trending in the wrong direction this August.
While Jackson remains sidelined, the Packers received mostly good news from Huber’s rookie status report.
Of the four rookies Green Bay selected before Jackson in the sixth round, three of them are trending upwards according to Huber. That includes second-round rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse, who Huber called a “likely Week 1 starter and potential star.”
“There will be growing pains for any rookie starter, and that’s especially true at cornerback. That was on full display on Sunday,” Huber wrote. “Cisse gave up a few big plays but also made a spectacular interception.
“The talent is there, and so is the mentality.”
As Packers fans are aware, Green Bay didn’t have a first-round pick because of the Micah Parsons trade. That means the team is relying upon Cisse and other mid-round rookies more than usual.
The Packers defense could take a significant step forward if Cisse, third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan and fourth-round edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton hit the ground running in September.
It’s also not too late for Jackson to bolster the group with a return from injury.
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