Panthers stud Mike Jackson cemented himself among NFL's best

Riley Moss. Quinyon Mitchell (an All-Pro who had two picks in his own Wild-Card game). Tyson Campbell. Patrick Surtain (the reigning DPOY). Mike Jackson. The Panthers CB sounds like he doesn't belong in this group. He does.

According to Nate Tice, those are the NFL leaders in tight window targets. What this means is that no other cornerbacks in the sport cover their receivers tighter. When they're targeted, the ball needs to be absolutely perfect.

This is also a big reason the Panthers cornerback was tied for the lead in regular-season pass breakups. He had 19 of them, an unfathomable number. He has more PBUs than games played in a Panthers uniform, and he's been healthy both seasons.

Jackson had four more PBUs against the Rams and an interception, his second of the year against the presumptive MVP Matthew Stafford. He dropped a wide-open interception against the Packers, otherwise he'd have tied Jaycee Horn for second in the NFL.

Horn gets all the attention, and rightfully so. But because opposing offenses don't like to target Horn, Jackson gets a ton of volume. Fortunately for Carolina, he does not make life easy. Sometimes, it might genuinely be wiser to target Horn.

Jackson was traded for a player who is no longer in the NFL, and he's on a two-year, $14 million contract. It's an absolute steal, and an extension should absolutely be in the cards soon this offseason. Jackson has proven his value and then some, and the Panthers cannot afford to lose him. now.