Aside from a few hiccups in the return game early in the campaign, Adoree’ Jackson had his best season as a pro in 2019 and solidified himself as the Tennessee Titans’ No. 1 corner.
His four-game absence near the end of the regular season was felt in a big way, as the Titans’ secondary simply wasn’t the same without him.
Losing him made things even more difficult with Malcolm Butler on the shelf, also, but once Jackson returned in the playoffs, he made a major impact and things stabilized for Tennessee’s secondary.
Jackson might not be underrated in Titans circles, but I’m not sure the national media has caught on to just how good he has been.
One outlet that hasn’t been sleeping on him is Pro Football Focus, who named Jackson the Titans’ most underrated player and routinely praises Jackson for the steps forward he has made in recent years.
“Jackson came into the league with all kinds of promise as an athlete but questions as to whether he could translate it to top-end play at cornerback,” the network’s Ben Linsey wrote. “In our eyes, he’s already accomplished that, producing three straight years with an overall grade of 73.0 or higher. That run was capped by an 82.5 grade in coverage in 2019 that ranked sixth among all cornerbacks. Jackson’s speed gives him a huge leg up when receivers test him down the football field, and that shows up in the numbers with 22 forced incompletions compared to just 12 receptions allowed when targeted 20 or more yards downfield. It’s time that we start recognizing him as a legitimate No. 1 cornerback.”
Jackson finished out last year with 45 tackles (39 solo) and six passes defensed.
Adoree' Jackson has rare movement skills, and his play at the catch point has improved significantly in his three years in the NFL.
He ranked fifth in @PFF coverage grade at outside cornerback in 2019. pic.twitter.com/YhewGzzGzB
— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) May 18, 2020
The next two years are going to be huge for the former No. 18 overall pick, who will enter the fourth year of his rookie deal in 2020 and recently had his fifth-year option picked up for 2021.
Jackson is going to be looking to prove he deserves a high-paying, long-term extension, and right now he’s on the path to earning it.
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