The New York Giants’ secondary is thin entering the offseason with few established starters in the defensive backfield and a couple of them set to hit free agency. While extending safety Xavier McKinney will be the priority, the Giants will also need to make a decision on the future of cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.
This offseason, should the Giants be crushing on Jackson?
Jackson signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Giants back in 2021, and he recently concluded his third season with them. Jackson has been the G-Men’s starting boundary cornerback for those three seasons. But Jackson’s performance significantly declined this past season.
This season, Jackson gave up 752 yards in coverage and a completion percentage of 65.9% (58/88)—by far the greatest totals of his Giants career. He was singled out and gave up more yardage than he had ever given up while playing for Big Blue.
It appears that Jackson has moved away from the game at the age of 28, having just finished his worst season. However, Jackson delivered a brilliant performance in the 2023 postseason just last year, aiding the Giants in slowing down Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson on their way to their first postseason victory in more than ten years.
As a backup corner opposite Deonte Banks, Jackson might still be useful even though he may not be the same player as in the past. More will be expected of Banks as he begins his second season in the NFL, so it makes sense to partner him with a capable experienced cornerback to lessen the load on his shoulders. The question is whether or not Jackson will be that cornerback.
If Jackson’s contract were to be extended, it would probably be for a year and at a reasonable cost. However, the benefits of keeping Jackson may not exceed the drawbacks.
Although Jackson would provide consistency and senior knowledge to the defence, he was a bit of a liability in coverage this year. This offseason, the Giants would do well to look towards other seasoned cornerbacks who might produce better results under a long-term contract.
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