With the Giants needing more support in their secondary, veteran cornerback Adoree Jackson emerged as one of their only viable options in a thin free-agent market. After failing to claim any cornerbacks off the waiver wire, the Giants turned to Jackson, a familiar face in the organization, to help fill one of their biggest needs: a competent cornerback to compete for the CB2 spot.
Giants’ Current Cornerback Situation
Currently, the Giants have Cor’Dale Flott and Nick McCloud as their primary competitors for the CB2 position, but neither impressed during the preseason.
McCloud made just one preseason appearance and has played 909 total snaps in his career. In contrast, Jackson has played 5,399 snaps, including 792 last season as a primary starter alongside Deonte Banks. The Giants initially asked him to play in the slot for the first two weeks of last season before moving him back outside. By that point, the damage had been done, and Jackson had missed several games due to injury.
Jackson’s Return to the Giants
Jordan Raanan of ESPN announced on Friday evening that Jackson would return to the Giants on a new contract. Jackson previously spent time with the Tennessee Titans, where new Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen served as the linebacker coach. Jackson spent the first four years of his career with Tennessee, delivering strong performances before signing with the Giants in 2021.
Role and Expectations for Jackson
The veteran cornerback will rejoin the team with the understanding that he will serve as the secondary option to Deonte Banks, who is set to fill the CB1 role permanently as the Giants’ first-round pick from 2023. At the very least, the Giants now have an experienced player to strengthen their defense. However, with training camp and preseason already over, Jackson will need to quickly learn Bowen’s scheme, which is reportedly much simpler than Wink Martindale’s, according to several Giants defensive players.
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Financial Considerations
Interestingly, Big Blue will incur $3 million in a void year from Jackson’s previous contract, while also paying him under his new deal. Despite these financial implications, the move provides the Giants with much-needed depth and experience in their secondary.