Eddie Jackson, it turns out, is even better than you think.

The Chicago Bears safety has quickly established himself as one of the most impactful defenders in the NFL over his first two seasons in the league. Last year, he made his first Pro Bowl and was named to the first of what seems like many All-Pro teams to come. If his career-long grade from Pro Football Focus is any indication, though, Jackson probably should have garnered those honors as a rookie, too.

The Pro Football Focus grading scale qualifies players with a grade between 100-90 as “elite.” Needless to say, Jackson has fit that bill since being selected with a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was named to PFF's All-Pro Team last season, and also had a grade of 95.2 in the Bears' Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the highest single-game mark produced by any safety in 2018.

Jackson had 51 tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, six interceptions, and 15 passes defensed last season. He also scored two defensive touchdowns, harking back to his days as an electrifying punt returner at the University of Alabama, and ended Aaron Rodgers' record streak of 402 passes without an interception by picking off a pass in Chicago's 24-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. Jackson missed the last two games of the regular season with a sprained ankle, though, and also sat out of his team's crushing 16-15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs despite dressing and being on the active roster.

The Bears are one of the NFL's most promising young teams, and the presence of an elite defender like Jackson is one of the biggest reasons why.