Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and his staff have gained a reputation for finding hidden gems in the mid to late round of the NFL draft, and this year’s draft brought with it another potential steal in former Georgia safety Dan Jackson.
Jackson was selected in the seventh round of April’s 2025 NFL draft as someone who could potentially add depth and versatility to a Lions secondary that has been lacking in those departments at times.
On Monday, Lions coach Dan Campbell announced an update on Jackson’s health status, and it was bad news for the standout former SEC defender.
“Dan Jackson he landed on injured reserve today, just wondering the prognosis for him and timeline,” a reporter said at a press conference Monday.
“Yeah, it doesn’t look good, that’s another one, we’re sending this out to a few more places, but it looks like he’s going to be down for a while,” Campbell replied in a video posted to X by the Lions.
Jackson was a player Holmes and his staff had eyed for months leading up to his selection.
“We’ve always had a liking for Dan Jackson just in terms of being a heady safety and who’s gotten his hands on the football, and a lot of it is above the neck, but he actually – he’s faster than what a lot of people think,” Holmes said this past spring.
“He’s been at the Senior Bowl, so he put together a nice little year,” Holmes added about the selection of Jackson, who was expected to back up Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch at the safety position in Detroit and now will likely have to wait his turn for some time while watching from the sidelines.