OWINGS MILLS — When Eddie Jackson arrived at the Under Armour Performance Center after signing with the Ravens last week, he saw a lot of familiar faces.
The 30-year-old safety remembers wide receiver Zay Flowers as being like a “little cousin” as they were both growing up in South Florida.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson lived 15 minutes away and played youth football for the Pompano Cowboys, while Eddie Jackson competed for the Lauderdale Lakes Vikings.
Eddie Jackson also knows cornerback Marlon Humphrey, running back Derrick Henry and defensive back Trayvon Mullen from playing at the University of Alabama.
Finally, Jackson and Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith were teammates with the Chicago Bears.
So, it’s been a seamless transition for Jackson in Baltimore, and he has already made himself at home, making an interception in his second practice with the Ravens.
“It just felt like a perfect fit,” Jackson said. “Just knowing what they have in this building and the tradition of things, I just knew it [was] a perfect fit for me to come in and compete and do what I [have] to do to help the team get better and hopefully win the Super Bowl.”
Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowler, has 459 total tackles, 355 solo stops, 14 tackles for a loss, 44 pass breakups, 15 interceptions and 10 forced fumbles in his career. He is regarded as one of the best safeties in the NFL, despite dealing with foot injuries and appearing in 12 games in each of the past two seasons.
Jackson was the highest-graded safety in the NFL in 2018 by Pro Football Focus.
Jackson was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Bears from Alabama and played the last seven seasons in Chicago. He was released in February for salary-cap reasons.
He’s ready to prove to the rest of the NFL that he’s still a playmaker.
“I can compete, I can fly around [and] make plays. Just things like that,” Jackson said. “I can come in and contribute to a team. I know the type of person I am off the field as well. I just want to show that around the league and to everyone.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh remembers watching game film on Jackson at Alabama during the draft process. Harbaugh also remembers playing against him with the Bears, and he likes what Jackson can add to the defense,
“[He’s] a pro [and has a] great demeanor,” Harbaugh said. “Eddie Jackson, it seems like he’s picking up the defense. I mean, he’s only been here for a little over 24 hours or so, and he didn’t make any mistakes today that I saw. But he’s going to be digging in that playbook really hard, and he looks good.”