Josh Jackson Drafted by Packers; Twitter Applauds Green Bay Ending CB's Slide

The Green Bay Packers bolstered their secondary Friday when they selected cornerback Josh Jackson from the University of Iowa with the No. 45 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

Twitter reacted to the Packers' remake of their defense, with Jackson joining first-round pick Jaire Alexander in the secondary:

Jackson burst onto the collegiate scene in 2017 with 48 tackles and eight interceptions for a Hawkeyes team that went 8-5 and won the Pinstripe Bowl.

There shouldn't be much worry about his ability to thrive on the game's biggest stage at the next level given his tendency to play at his best under the brightest spotlights at Iowa. He tallied three interceptions in a stunning victory over the eventual Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes and had two pick-sixes against Wisconsin.

Bleacher Report's Marcus Mosher noted Jackson looked like one of the 10 best prospects in this year's draft while playing in the marquee contests:

Jackson checks in at 6'0" and has the length to battle some of the taller receivers in the NFL, especially in the red zone on fade routes and jump balls.

His NFL Media's Lance Zierlein pointed to his "mind-blowing ball-hawking season with 27 passes defended" in addition to the picks and called his instincts "top-notch" while praising his ability to play the ball and not just the man he is defending.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projected Jackson as the No. 18 overall pick in February, stressing his potential goes beyond his eight interceptions because the Iowa product possesses "pro technique at the line of scrimmage and the speed to turn and run with speed at receiver."

Jackson has the height, speed and ball-hawking production NFL teams look for in cornerbacks and will attempt to live up to expectations for Green Bay.

The Packers have consistently struggled to put a quality defense on the field during the latter portion of Aaron Rodgers' career, and they were just 23rd in the league in passing yards allowed last year. Adding Jackson gives them a potential building block as they look to match Rodgers' offensive effort with a higher-caliber defensive unit.