Top 25 most important Bears in 2023: No. 7 Eddie Jackson

Shaw Local is counting down the top 25 most important Bears for the 2023 season.

What makes one player more important than another? That’s subjective, of course. But for our purposes it comes down to this: Are the Bears worse off if this player can’t play? Does this player have untapped potential or past greatness to live up to? Is his story going to be one fans follow closely this season?

The best player on the team isn’t always the most important, but he certainly can be. We will announce one player every day between now and the start of training camp.

No. 7 Eddie Jackson

Position: Safety

NFL experience: Seventh season

Last year’s ranking: No. 4

Looking back: By mid-season last year, the Bears shed nearly every veteran from the defense. All except for safety Eddie Jackson. Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, Roquan Smith, Robert Quinn - all were gone. Almost by default, Jackson emerged as the leader of the defense. But the truth was that Jackson was ready to take that mantle well before general manager Ryan Poles cleaned house. Jackson found himself surrounded by young, emerging talent and knew someone on the defensive side needed to be the guiding presence.

Meanwhile, Matt Eberflus’ 4-3 defensive scheme proved to be exactly what Jackson needed. The Bears put him in position to make plays doing what he does best – playing center field. Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker’s versatility made that possible. In the first 12 games, Jackson had four interceptions, two forced fumbles and 80 combined tackles. Unfortunately, a foot injury in Week 12 ended his season early.

Looking forward: Jackson returned for OTAs this spring and should hit the ground running when training camp begins. He and Brisker appear to be a solid duo at safety, but the challenge will be keeping both of them healthy. Jackson has been durable during his career prior to last season’s injury.

With an infusion of talent at linebacker in front of the safeties – veterans Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards – the safeties won’t have to worry about making up for deficiencies in the middle. Prior to his injury, Jackson had been leading the NFC in Pro Bowl voting at free safety. If he can stay healthy, the goal should be to play at just as high a level as he did last season. Jackson should be looking to make plays on the football, like he did last year with six takeaways created.

Maybe most importantly, the Bears will still need his leadership. Even with veterans coming in via free agency, this remains a young roster. Jackson has never been afraid to say what he thinks. The defense needs him to keep speaking up.

In case you missed it: Previous installments of the top 25

• No. 25: Robert Tonyan
• No. 24: Roschon Johnson
• No. 23: Cody Whitehair
• No. 22: Velus Jones Jr.
• No. 21: Jack Sanborn
• No. 20: Teven Jenkins
• No. 19: DeMarcus Walker
• No. 18: Gervon Dexter
• No. 17: Dominique Robinson
• No. 16: Kyler Gordon
• No. 15: D’Onta Foreman
• No. 14: Tyrique Stevenson
• No. 13: Jaquan Brisker
• No. 12: T.J. Edwards
• No. 11: Khalil Herbert
• No. 10: Darnell Wright
• No. 9: Braxton Jones
• No. 8: Cole Kmet