The New Orleans Saints have one of the stronger linebacker rooms in the league, and the surplus of talent at the position means that they could cut second-year pro D’Marco Jackson. A fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Appalachian State product missed his rookie season to injury but stayed healthy in 2023. Appearing in all 17 games, the linebacker finished the season with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
D’Marco Jackson didn’t set the world on fire by any stretch of the imagination, and his unremarkable production could send him out of town after just one season on the active roster. Bleacher Report recently released an article detailing potential roster cuts, and Jackson’s name made the list for the Saints.
Saints Could Release Linebacker D’Marco Jackson
D’Marco Jackson is a smart pick, as New Orleans has plenty of linebacker talent on the roster. The team already had Demario Davis and former first-round pick Pete Werner under contract and signed Willie Gay to a sizable contract in free agency. With only so many roster spots to go around, Jackson will probably be the odd-man out.
As a fifth-round pick with limited and unremarkable film, this could be the end of the road for D’Marco Jackson. However, plenty of teams need linebackers, so he could land with one of these clubs.
Potential Landing Spots
Atlanta Falcons
Now that Kirk Cousins is replacing Desmond Ridder, the Atlanta Falcons have the offensive firepower to make it to the postseason. What they lack, however, is the defense to support a deep playoff run. D’Maro Jackson might not be good enough to start, but he can add some much-needed depth to this unit.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens lost several key starters during free agency, including former first-round pick Patrick Queen. Roqaun Smith is still the star of the show and third-round pick Trenton Simpson showed promise as a rookie, but Baltimore could use more bodies at the position. Seeing as they didn’t select an off-ball linebacker in the NFL Draft, D’Marco Jackson could compete for one of the final spots on the 53-man roster.
Los Angeles Chargers
One of the biggest staples of Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers was the linebacker duo of Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. Harbaugh built his elite defense around these two, but he doesn’t have the talent to replicate that formula with the Los Angeles Chargers. D’Marco Jackson obviously isn’t as good as those two greats, but he can add some competition to one of the worst depth charts in the game.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers could use as much young talent as they can get their hands on. Frankie Luvu left for greener pastures, and while Josey Jewell can be an effective starter, they could use a developmental player like D’Marco Jackson. Having played the Saints twice last year, perhaps some holdovers from the previous staff saw something they liked in the Appalachian State product.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lavonte David remains one of the better linebackers in the game, but the former second-round pick isn’t getting any younger. Additionally, after a promising start to his career, Devin White fell down the depth chart before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. This team could use a few younger faces at the position, and D’Marco Jackson could benefit from playing behind David and learning how he approaches the game.
Main Photo: Stephen Lew – USA Today Sports
