After helping the Texans earn back-to-back AFC South titles, Kareem Jackson is eagerly awaiting the start of the 2017 season.
"Man, we're really getting anxious, excited with the talent that we have on the defensive side of the ball," Jackson said this week on The Jim Rome Show. "First and foremost, to get J.J. (Watt) back and healthy, it means a lot to our team. The draft picks that we added, we're extremely excited about this year."
The Texans added seven draft picks, including first-round selection Deshaun Watson. Jackson joked he was willing to overlook Watson defeating his alma mater, Alabama, in the College Football Playoff National Championship in January. The eight-year veteran cornerback is looking forward to having Watson as a teammate now.
"Defensively, we just want to go out and do our job," Jackson said. "Whatever we can do to make things a lot easier for him (Watson) or whoever is going to be under center. We definitely want to do that. We definitely want to be dominant each and every Sunday so like I said, anything that we can do that will definitely help him and the offense, for those guys to have better field position, create turnovers, you know. Whatever we have to do, to make it a little bit easier for him."
Last year, Houston's defense finished No. 1 in the league even with Watt out for the season following the Week 3 game at New England. The cornerback tandem of Jackson and Johnathan Joseph, together since 2011, have allowed just 57.1 percent completion against Texans opponents, the lowest in the NFL, and the second-lowest net yards passing per game at 211.0.
"We take a lot of pride in it," Jackson said. "It's one of the things we work towards. You know, to go in day in and day out, just trying to perfect our craft on in the offseason, doing things on our own. You know with me and him being out there being on the same page and seeing things kind of the same way. For us to have the lowest percentage in the league, that's especially a good thing for our team."
The Texans kick off the 2017 season on Sunday, September 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium.
Check out the top 25 photos of Texans CB Kareem Jackson from last season.
