LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Football Team announced today that they have signed cornerback William Jackson III. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Jackson (6-0, 196) is entering his sixth NFL season after originally being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round (24th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 59 career games with 48 starts over four seasons with Bengals after being placed on IR his rookie season.
Jackson has amassed 150 tackles (119 solo), five tackles for loss, 41 passes defensed, one sack and three interceptions, including one for a 75-yard touchdown. He has also tallied double-digit passes defensed in three of his first four seasons.
In 2020, Jackson started all 14 games he played in and tallied 45 tackles, an interception and 11 passes defensed while helping Cincinnati hold opposing passers to a 62.8 completion percentage, the sixth lowest in the NFL.
In 2019, Jackson appeared in 14 games and started all but one of them. He registered 37 tackles (26 solo), three passes defensed and one interception before landing on IR with a shoulder injury prior to the season finale.
Jackson started all 16 games in 2018, leading the Bengals in passes defensed with 13. He also added 41 tackles (34 solo) and two tackles for loss. He appeared in 94.2 percent of defensive snaps.
In 2017, Jackson played in 15 games with five starts. He totaled 25 tackles (19 solo), including a sack and recorded a team-high-tying 14 passes defensed. He also added a 75-yard interception return touchdown, picking off Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He became one of five first-year players to record at least 14 passes defensed in 2017, joining Marshon Lattimore, Tre'Davious White, Adoree' Jackson and Shaquill Griffin.
Jackson missed the 2016 season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle tendon during training camp.
Jackson, 28, played three seasons (2013-15) at Houston, after one season (2012) at Trinity Valley Community College (Athens, Texas). He had eight interceptions, 48 passes defensed, 115 tackles, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Though he played only three seasons, his 40 career pass breakups were third-most in school history. Jackson helped lead the 2015 Cougars to a 13-1 record, tied for best in school history and to their best national ranking (eighth) since 1979. His Defensive MVP performance in the 2015 season Peach Bowl win over Florida State included two interceptions, two additional pass breakups and a career-high 10 tackles.
Jackson is from Houston, Texas and attended Wheatley High School, where he played both WR and DB.
