With great anticipation, the New York Giants began the 2023 season aligning cornerback Adoree’ Jackson with two
inexperienced ballhawks, Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins III, who would learn from their seasoned colleague and
take over the outside corner positions so that Jackson could transition into the slot. At least one of those guys may
have benefited from the mentoring component in their early development, but Jackson’s play fell short of
expectations as his contract drew to a conclusion.
Arriving in East Rutherford on March 23, 2021, Jackson, a seven-year veteran out of USC, inked a three-year, $39
million contract with the Giants in free agency. Prior to that, he played for four seasons with the Tennessee Titans,
who selected him with the 18th overall pick in 2017 to cover the position of outside corner for a total of 46 games.
Jackson was a multi-talented athlete who excelled in track and field as a sophomore and played three positions on
the football field: wide receiver, return specialist, and cornerback. After recording 50 tackles as a true rookie in 2014,
he was nominated for Pac-12 rookie of the Year.
98 yards on a kickoff return for a touchdown, along with 138 receiving yards and five total touchdowns for a player
who plays mostly defense. For the remainder of his time as a Trojan, Jackson recorded 140 total tackles, six
interceptions, two forced fumbles, 11 defensive pass deflections, and 39 pass receptions totaling 628 yards (16.1
average) and six touchdowns. These accomplishments led him to forgo his senior year and pursue his career as a
defensive back, earning him the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award as the country’s best defensive back.
Jackson’s ranking as one of the top 10 cornerbacks going into the 2017 NFL Combine by various publications and
media commentators helped him make the case to Tennessee for a first-round selection in the top half. He joined the
Titans as a 23-year-old rookie in training camp and worked hard to secure a job as the starting cornerback and punt
returner after signing a four-year contract. Along with nearly 900 return yards, Jackson’s 70 tackles, three forced
fumbles, and 17 pass deflections helped him lead the Titans’ defense in his first season. His efforts enabled the Titans
to record their second-best 9-7 season in two years.
making a run for their first Divisional Round playoff participation in almost a decade, and rank among the defensive
teams during the previous five seasons. Jackson would lead the Titans to a third consecutive winning season the
following season, recording a career-high 73 tackles, two interceptions, and ten pass deflections. However, he would
miss the next two seasons due to foot and knee injuries, which limited his output and ultimately led to the Titans
cutting him loose at the end of the 2020 campaign.
Jackson has struggled with injuries since signing with the Giants in 2021, missing at least four games over his three
seasons in New York. Nonetheless, as one of the Giants’ primary outside corners, the 28-year-old has been a
mainstay of the team’s defensive secondary, logging at least 51 tackles every season and nine total turnovers. 2023
RECAP Three years ago, the New York Giants signed Jackson with the intention of bringing in one of the most
seasoned covering defenders in the league, someone who could hang with the greatest receivers and make their life
miserable on Sundays.
Jackson did a great job of limiting his opponents to less than 338 yards per season and four touchdowns in a total of
1,369 snaps over his first two seasons. By the end of 2022, his opponent’s reception percentage had also decreased to
around 50%, a significant improvement for a player who had previously allowed as much as 80% in the same area in
Tennessee. But as Jackson tries to demonstrate his worth in pursuing a new contract with the Giants this autumn,
the numbers appear to be returning to the mean. Jackson has made 63 stops in 759 snaps overall, one forced fumble,
and one interception returned for a score; the interception return for a touchdown is the third-highest of his career.
