Giants 2025 UFA Primer: CB Adoree Jackson

The New York Giants desperately need an infusion of talent at cornerback, particularly at CB1, where second-year player Deonte Banks struggled to adapt to more of a zone coverage scheme.

A veteran would benefit the youth in the Giants' defensive secondary in that it would provide leadership, but is Adoree’ Jackson that guy?

Adoree Jackson, Cornerback

Height: 5-11
Weight: 185 lbs.
Age: 29
NFL Exp.: 8 Years
College: USC

New York Giants cornerback Adoree Jackson was truly an afterthought for rejoining the 2024 Giants roster when it desperately needed reinforcements for the secondary as he returns to the free agent market in March, whether he showed enough for the team to consider re-signing him in 2025.

Last season, the Giants had Jackson in their plans for the cornerback position due to the arrival of two rookies, Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins III, whom Jackson would mentor as outside ballhawks and eventually play alongside from the slot position.

This fall, the mindset shifted to the 29-year-old corner, though. The Giants had a modest passing defense during the 2023 season, largely due to their exotic pressures from the Wink Martindale system.

That defense style was highly detrimental to the secondary, and guys like Jackson had rough campaigns that featured some of his worst coverage metrics in eight years as a pro.

After appearing in 14 games for New York, where he recorded 63 total tackles (49 solo), one interception returned for a touchdown, one forced fumble, and eight pass deflections, Jackson was left to test the free agent waters where the interest in his services was far from competitive.

Jackson was the 18th overall selection in the 2017 draft out of USC and was taken by the Tennessee Titans, with whom he spent his first four NFL seasons. He played in all 16 games in the first years while making at least 70 tackles and five total turnovers. He also helped the Titans to the postseason in his rookie debut and 2020.

Jackson’s last year in Tennessee was a wash with a knee injury, and he was released that offseason before signing with the Giants on a three-year contract worth $39 million. In the first three seasons, he gave the Giants defense 37 total games with at least 51 total tackles and four forced turnovers but dealt with injuries in the first two that made him miss 11 games.

Along with playing football all his life, Jackson was a track and field athlete at USC, where he won a Pac-12 Championship in the long jump competition during his sophomore year. He is also the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award winner and was named a Consensus All-American at the end of his senior campaign with the Trojans.

Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants Adoree' Jackson (21) runs off the field during the second half at Commanders Field. | Luke Johnson-Imagn Images

2024 Recap

With the Giants suffering a few blows to their secondary at the end of training camp and the preseason, there were serious concerns about the position having enough healthy depth to start the schedule.

Subsequently, the bat signal was put out for Jackson, who agreed to return to the organization on a one-year, $1,750,000 contract.

Compared to his primary role as a slot corner in 2023, Jackson spent most of the 2024 season on the perimeter (360 snaps) with Deonte Banks, with some additional reps from the slot corner hole (19 snaps).

He would play at least 43 snaps in the last six games as the Giants dealt with another bout of injuries that severely limited their third defensive level.

In that workload, Jackson finished with 26 tackles (16 solos), one forced fumble, one recovery, and five pass deflections. It was the second-lowest output of his career, but he ended up fourth among cornerbacks on the Giant's defensive leaderboard.

Jackson had an improved season as a tackler by only whiffing on 10.7 percent of his tackle attempts, which was his best rate since the 2021 season. He also made some strides in coverage, allowing (15) catches on (28) targets for (175) yards, (two) touchdowns, and (66) yards after contact, which were also some of his best numbers since his rookie season with the Titans.

Two of his best games came in Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys when he tallied a season-high six tackles and Week 15 against the Baltimore Ravens when he kicked off the game by forcing and recovering a muffed football by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

The New York Giants' plan for handling the secondary this offseason remains in flux as the team deciphers what kind of identity they want the position group to have in 2025.

With injuries and inexperience continuing to affect that area of the defense, they might want to turn towards acquiring some veteran pieces to strengthen it and make it more competitive next season.

The impending free-agent market will be loaded with unrestricted players to browse from as long as the Giants are willing to open the checkbook to land one of the stud options.

If they don’t want to splurge, then resigning Adoree Jackson gives them an insurance policy for a lower price who has the experience and intangibles to at least compete for a starting role again next summer.

While most of the Giants secondary was not great overall in coverage, Jackson had one of his better years despite limited snap duties compared to 2023.

He out as the best corner with at least 221 coverage snaps in receptions and yards allowed and second in yards after contact and touchdowns, his fourth straight year allowing just two in the red zone.

If the Giants were to retain defensive coordinator Shane Bowen for next season, it could be a better fit for Jackson than when he struggled in coverage in Wink Martindale’s system due to exotic pressures that didn’t always get home and left corners like Jackson on an island most of the time with the most elite receivers in the league.

Jackson isn’t a top-class ballhawk by any stretch. Still, he has displayed an ability to make the big plays happen occasionally, including batting away big passes toward the end zone and causing turnovers like he did against the Baltimore Ravens to help give the Giants a short spark in that game.

Lastly, Jackson has versatility in his arsenal, having experience playing on the perimeter or inside the slot corner.

That could be useful as the Giants are still learning the strengths and weaknesses of several young players like Deonte Banks, Tre Hawkins III, and Cor’Dale Flott and could use Jackson’s presence to reinforce their talent. At the same time, they also seek additional resources this offseason.

Why the Giants Shouldn’t Keep Him

There is something to be said about the Giants waiting till they were short on cornerbacks on the cusp of September to bring back Jackson for the 2024 season.

The Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime eventually wanted to get towards a youth movement in their secondary. It didn't consider the player’s efforts worth the value he might demand for his experience in the open market.

The Giants let Jackson test free agency to receive that humbling answer he needed. They tried to acquire more assets through the draft, where they drafted safety Tyler Nubin in the second round and stud slot corner Dru Phillips in a third-round steal.

That decision would come back to bite them as injuries piled up in training camp, and New York was forced to return to Jackson, who was willing to offer his veteran presence again.

As they head into 2025, Jackson’s value will be questioned again. He did have an improved campaign, albeit with fewer snaps than the 2023 season.

At the same time, the Giants will be bringing back a number of their corners that will be competing if not retaining their starting jobs, including Phillips, who has cemented himself as a slot piece for the long term in his good rookie debut.

Speaking of ailments, Jackson is no stranger to dealing with injuries. In his first seven NFL seasons, he has missed 4 and 14 games each year and missed 11 games in his first tenure in East Rutherford.

It might make no sense to keep Jackson as depth again if he is also a player that can easily get banged up and worsen that problem the Giants need to resolve next fall.

Overall, Jackson hasn’t been the greatest defender on the rest of the field outside the endzone. He occasionally makes the plays, but the Giants have been a team that relies on their defense to help their offense on Sundays, and that’ll entail bringing in players at a higher level whom they have more space for than Jackson if they want to win meaningful games in 2025.

Potential Replacements If He Doesn’t Return

Oct 31, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (4) reacts after sacking Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Free Agency: D.J. Reed, New York Jets

Among the talented names on the open market, one that could replace Adoree Jackson resides on the other side of the Big Apple in New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed.

Despite the Jets' lack of success on the defensive end this season, Reed was one of the key players who helped the franchise boast one of the best defensive units in the NFL, which had top-five designations in all the major passing statistics.

He’s played in at least 880 total snaps, with 501 or more coming in coverage, in his three years in green and posted coverage grades above 70.1.

Playing in 14 games this past season, Reed made 50+ tackles for the fifth straight year with a 12.1 percent missed tackle rate that was one of the better numbers in the Jets’ secondary.

In a fifth-round draft selection in 2018 by the San Francisco 49ers, he forced 18 stops and allowed only 35 receptions on 60 targets for 431 yards and two touchdowns, which were his lowest stats since 2021.

The only concerns with Reed are his penalties that need to be cleaned up, as he had a career-high 11 infractions this past season.

He is also more of a perimeter corner by trade, but the Giants could either put him out there while securing another slot corner elsewhere or try his hand, as he played slots in a decent number of snaps for the 49ers and Seahawks.

With a lot of drama inside the walls of 1 Jets Drive, there could be a lot of changes made to that roster as players are disgruntled with the organization.

If Reed slips through the cracks, he’s a prime candidate for spending some cap space to strengthen the Giants cornerbacks' room.

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter (12) during the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Draft: Travis Hunter, University of Colorado

The future of the Giants quarterback position will hang in the balance over the next few months until the 2025 NFL Draft in April.

After almost having the No. 1 pick in the draft, New York will draft third, and their chances of landing a top prospect will depend on what happens with the first two selections slated to be made by Tennessee and Cleveland, both of whom are believed to be interested in the same gunslingers.

If the Giants can’t get their pick of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, there is no question they should pivot toward the cornerback position where the clear top name on the board is Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter.

Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Award winner with the Buffaloes, was arguably the most gifted two-way player in college football this past season. It’s unknown if the Giants would be keen on his receiving abilities. Still, for the defensive side, he played in 13 games, had 776 snaps total, and recorded a 56 percent opponent reception rate while taking away four interceptions.

The same situation can apply as did with D.J. Reed, but Hunter also played 115 snaps in the slot during the 2024 campaign. The young man is such a talented prospect, and that’s been on display for the whole football world. He could just impact the Giants' roster no matter what side or position he plays.

Dec 25, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson (22) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Keep or Dump?

The New York Giants’ relationship with Jackson might seem fine on the outside, but how they handled his situation last offseason tells you that he wasn’t a part of their long-term plan after the 2023 season. They ran into some tough luck with injuries and had to bring him back to have enough healthy bodies to compete at the start of the season.

That said, Jackson has made as much effort for the franchise as he can, but his overall body of work has seemed to digress as he has gotten older and struggled against many premier matchups that the NFL now brings.

The Giants must find a balanced blend of veterans and novices for their secondary to thrive for years. Still, it feels like Jackson has overstayed his welcome in East Rutherford and will have to look for new employment on another team if he wants to keep his career moving into his ninth season.