Dan Jackson (defensive back)

Daniel Warren Jackson (born November 30, 2000) is an American professional football safety for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Lions in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Dan Jackson

Jackson with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024
No. 28 – Detroit Lions
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(2000-11-30) November 30, 2000 (age 24) Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	194 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school:	North Hall (Gainesville, Georgia)
College:	Georgia (2019–2024)
NFL draft:	2025: 7th round, 230th pick
Career history
Detroit Lions (2025–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
2× CFP national champion (2021, 2022) 2x SEC Champion (2022, 2024) Third-team All-SEC (2024)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Jackson attended North Hall High School in Gainesville, Georgia. As a senior, Jackson played both running back and defensive back, totaling 1,785 all-purpose yards, 26 touchdowns, and four interceptions.^[1] He decided to walk-on at the University of Georgia, following his high school career.

College career

After redshirting and being a member of the scout team for his first two years on campus, Jackson earned significant playing time in 2021.^[1] Against Arkansas, he blocked a punt, leading to a touchdown, before leading the team in tackles the following week.^[2][3] Jackson finished the 2021 season with over 35 tackles, becoming a leader on Georgia's defense.^[4] The following season, he played in seven games, recording 16 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup before his season was prematurely ended due to injury.^[5][6][7] In 2023, Jackson returned from his injury, playing in the season opener against UT Martin.^[8] He finished the season with 20 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception before announcing that he would return to Georgia in 2024.^[9] In 2024, against rival Georgia Tech, Jackson forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter, giving Georgia the ball in Yellow Jacket territory down by seven points. Georgia capitalized on the turnover, going on to eventually win in eight overtimes by a score of 44–42.^[10]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump
6 ft 0+1⁄8 in (1.83 m)	194 lb (88 kg)	29+7⁄8 in (0.76 m)	8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m)	4.46 s	1.54 s	2.64 s	4.36 s	7.12 s	34.0 in (0.86 m)	10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
All values from Pro Day[11][12]

On April 26, 2025, Jackson was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL draft with the 230th overall pick.^[13]