New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson is proving Stephon Gilmore doesn’t own the only island in Foxborough.
There’s another place where the souls of shipwrecked quarterbacks and receivers howl into the midnight sky—a place that has proven to be every bit as daunting as the adjacent lot. The only welcoming party on this isolated piece of real estate is getting jammed at the line of scrimmage and constantly suffocated by Jackson’s everlasting presence over the course of a 60-minute football game.
Welcome to “J.C. Island.”
Pro Football Focus noted on Friday the third-year corner ranks first in the NFL in completion percentage allowed, including the postseason, since 2017. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging a 49.6 completion percentage when aiming in his direction. It’s an impressive number that trumped players like Casey Hayward, Richard Sherman, Marlon Humphrey—and yes, even Gilmore.
J.C. Jackson and Stephon Gilmore have been putting receivers on lockdown. pic.twitter.com/jmypRwOI4Z
— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) July 17, 2020
Jackson’s exemplary work is often overshadowed by the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Yet, even Gilmore has alluded to the elite playmaking ability of his teammate.
“He has the best ball skills I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot of corners,” Gilmore said in 2019, via NESN. “He plays the ball as good as anybody.”
An undrafted defensive back out of Maryland, Jackson has skyrocketed above and beyond expectations coming out of college. He’s a diamond that was clearly there for the taking for every team in the 2018 NFL Draft. It’s astonishing to think coach Bill Belichick merely plucked a key cog of his defense and one of the best corners in the league from a group of undrafted free agents.
Keen observers already know how good Jackson is on the field, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world does as well.