Adoree’ Jackson, the former Giant and Titan, is one of the best cornerbacks still on the market. As teams continue to assess their rosters out of OTAs and heading into training camps, Jackson could become a coveted player for teams lacking cornerback depth, whether that’s due to youth or injury.
Jackson is primarily known as a press-man corner, but he has plenty of experience in zone schemes as well. He’s a premiere athlete with good length, allowing him to remain sticky in bump-and-run coverage, while his IQ and ball skills make him effective in zone.
He’s scheme-versatile, experienced, and athletic. Jackson could help a lot of teams right away.
Jackson, 28, is a former first-round pick by the Titans out of USC in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $11,282,783 rookie contract when the Titans picked up his fifth-year option for the 2021 season.
Jackson was set to make around $10,244,000 for the 2021 season under the option before the Titans released him. He landed with the Giants on a three-year, $39 million deal.
After playing out that contract, Jackson is again testing the market as an unrestricted free agent.
In 2023, Jackson appeared in 14 games for the Giants and recorded 63 total tackles, one forced fumble, one interception which he returned 76 yards for a touchdown, and eight pass deflections.
We have him included in our Top 100 Available Free Agents list.
Chargers
With new HC Jim Harbaugh and a new team philosophy along with him, the Chargers are in a transitionary period as a team. Despite Justin Herbert establishing himself as one of the premiere quarterbacks in the league, they have consistently underperformed over the last few seasons, failing to win a single playoff game over that span. Much of the star core of this team was aging, so the new staff has begun to turn the roster over and bring in younger talent.
This doesn’t apply to the secondary, however, as the back end of the defense has been a weak spot in Los Angeles for a while now. Starting CB Asante Samuel Jr. has one of the outside spots locked down, and the Chargers signed free agent CB Kristian Fulton from the Titans to shore up the other.
Behind those two, the depth chart gets very thin, very quickly.
Jackson would provide eminently valuable depth as well as an experienced starting option. Samuel Jr. could shift to the slot as needed while Jackson would step in as the team’s third cornerback, which would still mean a lot of snaps. He might only be a stopgap solution, but without him, the Chargers run the risk of just hemorrhaging yards through the air on defense. A weak cornerback room can sink a team, and strong defenses are a staple of Harbaugh teams anyway.
Colts
Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard has done a remarkable job keeping the roster intact and upgrading key areas, coming off a season in which the Colts were one win away from the playoffs. Former first-round QB Anthony Richardson returns for his second season after missing most of rookie campaign with a shoulder injury, and the Colts hope his presence will raise the ceiling of their team significantly. Priority free agents such as DT Grover Stewart, S Julian Blackmon, and CB Kenny Moore II were retained, while DE Laiatu Latu and WR Adonai Mitchell were selected in the first two rounds.
After the Colts’ offseason work, there’s really only one area of weakness left, and that’s in the secondary. Moore is one of the best slot corners in the league, and 2023 second-round CB JuJu Brents is expected to take a step forward as the Colts’ primary option outside. Jackson would be a welcome addition alongside them.
2022 UDFA CB Dallis Flowers and 2023 seventh-round selection Jaylon Jones have received multiple endorsements from Ballard and the coaching staff, and Flowers in particular did play well in a starting role in 2023 before going down with an Achilles injury. But both profile better as depth options. Jackson provides a higher floor than the Colts’ younger options, which could be important for a team looking to make a serious playoff run in 2024.
Chiefs
After trading away coverage stalwart L’Jarius Sneed this offseason, the Chiefs might be in the market for cornerback reinforcements themselves. Kansas City parted ways with Sneed due to his contract demands, but he’s been an integral part of their defense for years now and won’t be easy to replace.
Trent McDuffie is set to take on a larger role. The 2022 first-round pick has been an All-Pro-caliber player operating primarily out of the slot, though he may be asked to play more on the outside with Sneed in Tennessee. Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams have rotated as the Chiefs’ third cornerback, and both will be asked to dramatically increase their snap counts.
However, a veteran like Jackson in the secondary could go a long way toward stabilizing that unit, especially given the Chiefs’ historic aspirations of a third Super Bowl win in a row. Jackson has played in a variety of systems but is known for his speed and athleticism. He’d be a great fit in Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, a defense built around speed and aggressiveness. He’d also let Watson and Williams stay in supporting roles that might better suit them.
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