Now that the full court press from the New York Giants’ secondary to add cornerback Adoree Jackson to the roster via free agency has worked, what exactly does Jackson bring to the table?
Jackson gives the Giants another high-profile defensive back. He was a first-round pick (18th overall, 2017) by the Tennessee Titans. He was actually selected ahead of safety Jabrill Peppers, who went 25th to Cleveland that year.
Cornerback James Bradberry (Carolina, 2016) and safety Xavier McKinney (Giants, 2020) were second-round picks. Safety Logan Ryan (New England, 2013) and Isaac Yiadom (Denver, 2018) were third rounders and Julian Love (Giants, 2019) and Darnay Holmes (Giants, 2020) were fourth rounders.
Jackson, who will turn 26 in September, would have been a hot commodity in the free agent market but injuries the past two seasons have soured many teams on him. Many believe that Jackson still has what it takes to be an NFL starting cornerback.
In his first two seasons with the Tennessee, Jackson recorded 27 pass defenses, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. The Giants are also in the market for punt and kick return help and Jackson averaged 23.1 yards per kick return on 25 attempts back in 2017.
There is a lot of familiarity with Jackson. He played three seasons with Ryan in Tennessee and comes from the same college program that produced Holmes.
It is likely the Giants will still add a cornerback in the upcoming draft even after adding Jackson. But if he can regain his pre-injury form, he will add another young veteran presence to an already talented secondary.
The Giants employ five defensive backs on a good portion of the defensive snaps and a lot of that is due to the talent they’ve amassed in their defensive backfield. The addition of Jackson gives them a solid outside corner across the field from the Pro Bowler Bradberry and will allow defensive coordinator Patrick Graham more flexibility in the slot and at safety.
This is another tremendous all-around addition for general manager Dave Gettleman and the Giants.
