Packers waive rookie cornerback Domani Jackson at final roster cutdown

The Green Bay Packers have waived rookie cornerback Domani Jackson at the cutdown deadline, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, as reported by Yahoo Sports. Jackson was selected by the Packers in April’s NFL Draft with the 201st overall pick, a late Day 3 selection intended to create depth and competition for the secondary.

Jackson entered the preseason as an outside bet for the final defensive back spots. In the Packers’ preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, Zenitz’s report characterized his performance as poor. The context mattered, because that game was not a smooth one for Green Bay’s third-string defensive backs in general, with multiple breakdowns occurring during Arizona’s scoring run.

According to the same report, Green Bay’s defensive struggles were tied to the way the game unfolded. In the Steelers’ “last real offensive drives” during that stretch of preseason action, the Packers gave up three consecutive touchdowns, and in the Cardinals game, Green Bay allowed 38 points. Within that environment, Jackson’s evaluation appears to have fallen short compared with other options fighting for roles at the back end of the rotation.

The report also referenced that Jackson looked “alright” in a Week 2 debut earlier in the preseason, suggesting he had at least flashed in at least one set of live-game reps. Still, teams typically evaluate cutdown eligibility across multiple opportunities, including coverage assignments and the ability to handle NFL spacing quickly, particularly for late-round rookies trying to hold a roster spot.

Waiving a rookie draft pick at cutdowns does not automatically reflect a long-term ceiling or floor, but it does report that the Packers prefer other players ahead of him for the immediate 53-man picture. The waiver process can also determine whether another team claims him and adds him to its own depth chart, or whether he clears waivers and later returns through a practice-squad path or a different opportunity.

For the Packers, the decision is part of the broader preseason pruning that shapes the final roster. With the waiver occurring at the cutdown deadline, the immediate focus turns to who remains available for Green Bay’s defensive back group and how the team fills any gaps created by losing an offseason investment.

Jackson’s next steps will depend on waiver outcomes and how other teams view his preseason film. If he is claimed, he could land in a new defensive system quickly. If he clears waivers, his likely competition becomes the practice-squad ecosystem, where late-round rookies often need to prove they can reduce mistakes and learn a playbook at the NFL pace.