New England Patriots cornerback JC Jackson is one of the best players available in free agency this year. He is arguably the best defensive player available given his age and track record thus far in the NFL.
Jackson was undrafted out of Florida in 2018 but has turned himself into one of the best players at his position in the league. He is a playmaker, racking up turnovers and defending passing. In four seasons, he has 25 interceptions and 53 passes defended according to Pro-Football-Reference.
Anyone who thought his production may have been a fluke because he was playing opposite of Stephen Gilmore was proven wrong in 2021. He was the No. 1 corner in New England and continued to excel, putting him in a position to cash in big-time this year as a free agent.
The Patriots would love to keep him, but he will garner a lot of interest, especially if Carlton Davis receives a franchise tag from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here are three possible free agent destinations for Jackson should he not return to the Patriots.
3. Arizona Cardinals
The secondary for the Arizona Cardinals has been a mess in recent seasons. Long-time starter Patrick Peterson departed in free agency in 2020 and the team relied on a mishmash of players to help fill the void.
Robert Alford, who hadn’t played a snap since Week 17 of the 2018 season, had a big role on the team along with 2021 fourth-round pick Marco Wilson. Bryon Murphy Jr., who is a slot cornerback, and Antonio Hamilton also filled in on the perimeter.
It resulted in the unit finishing 28th in coverage grade for the 2021 season. Creating the cap space to fit a player such as JC Jackson, however, will be a challenge. But, if he shows interest in joining the team, they should do their best to make it work because this secondary needs a lot of help, especially given the offenses they will be facing in the NFC West this season.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are projected to be among the teams with the most cap space in the league this offseason. Seeing how close they were to a spot in the playoffs, expect them to spend to help get the team over the hump.
Los Angeles looks to have hit with their draft selection of Asante Samuel Jr. but they need to upgrade the secondary alongside him. J.C. Jackson would be an excellent addition to start opposite of him.
Michael Davis didn’t grade out particularly well in 2021 opposite of Samuel, while Chris Harris wasn’t much better in the slot and is a free agent himself this year. Landing someone like Jackson would enable the Chargers to focus their attention elsewhere during the 2022 NFL Draft and give their defense another cornerstone to build around.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
The secondary has been an issue for the Las Vegas Raiders in recent seasons. They made a great value signing with Casey Heyward Jr. last offseason, but he is going to be a free agent again. Brandon Facyson started opposite of him a majority of the season, and while he wasn’t great, is also an impending free agent.
With 2020 first-round pick Damon Arnette no longer on the roster after a video surfaced of him brandishing guns and issuing threats, the secondary needs some help. Jackson would be a great signing and will have some familiarity with the organization.
The Raiders brought on Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to be their new head coach. A scheme change will be in place and who better to help teach that scheme to a roster than someone who likely has experience running it in Jackson.
Having to go up against Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, and possibly a star such as Aaron Rodgers if the Denver Broncos get their way, the Raiders need an upgrade at cornerback and JC Jackson would fill the void.
