3. William Jackson, Free Agent
Jackson has gotten some workouts lately, with the Atlanta Falcons joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles on the list Monday according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson.
A first-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2016, Jackson signed with Washington in 2021 and was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers at last year's trade deadline. But he never played a game for the Steelers as a back injury sidelined him, and they released him this past offseason.
Back in May Jackson said the injury is no longer an issue and he had heard from multiple teams. That has sort of shown out subsequently, with all the workouts he has gotten just in the past month or so. But no one has signed him just yet.
The issues with Jackson are age (30, 31 on Oct. 27), the fact back issues rarely if ever completely disappear and a drop-off in his performance. He allowed eight touchdown passes over 16 games with Washington over the past two seasons. And albeit in a small four-game sample last season, when he may not have been fully healthy, he allowed close to a 71 percent completion rate and a 121.9 passer rating in his coverage.
At minimum, the Lions could join the contingent of teams that are getting a look at Jackson lately. They do not need him to be a starter, but as experienced depth he's a notable option.