Getty Jerry Jacobs on the field for the Lions in 2021 against the Rams.
Confidence is a big part of playing in the NFL, and Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs isn’t short on any of that, especially after starting off his first season in the league in strong fashion.
After injuries, Jacobs was quite literally thrown into the fire this season, and instead of folding, has reacted well for the team. He’s gone toe-to-toe with some of the best wideouts in football, and has not backed down one bit. Now, Jacobs is calling his shot as it relates to the future.
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As Jacobs said on his Twitter account, his goal is to be the best at not just his position, but the best ever. Here’s a look at the tweet:
My goal is to be the best 💫💫not only at my position but I’m working towards being the best ever!!!!
Obviously, it’s going to take a lot of hard work for Jacobs to get to that point, but by calling out what he plans to do, it’s clear the cornerback is going to try and manifest the goal in a big way. The rookie deserves credit for stepping up this season, and continues to improve as he puts his mind to his work on the field.
Jacobs Helping Bolster Lions Cornerback Depth
From the start of the season until now, Jacobs was clearly depended on right from the start by the team. Detroit lost Jeff Okudah for the year, and then watched as Ifeatu Melifonwu went down with injury during Week 2. With this in mind, there was nowhere for Jacobs to run, and he has made the best of a tough position by standing up and getting it done on the field so far. Statistically, Jacobs has been solid, with 19 total tackles, 3 passes defended and 1 forced fumble. As this video tweet from Woodward Sports showed, Jacobs has also been solid against the run:
Overall, the Lions couldn’t have asked for much better halfway through the first season for an undrafted rookie. If Jacobs can improve even more as he suggests, the team will love that outcome.
Jacobs’ Stats & Highlights
To say Jacobs was an underdog for the team was an understatement. When he signed after the NFL draft this past May, few people knew who the defensive back from Arkansas was or figured he would be sticking around for the long haul. In college, Jacobs did have decent stats, with 70 tackles and 4 interceptions to his credit to go with 2 forced fumbles and 10 passes defended. That was between two stops at both Arkansas State and Arkansas.
Coming into the league, it was easy to see why folks were a bit excited about Jacobs given the tape. Here’s a look at what he brings to the mix:
Obviously, there is some scrap to Jacobs, and that already served him well in cracking the Detroit roster. When he’s played, he hasn’t looked overmatched. As he learns more, he’s setting his goals high to become one of the best ever.
Lions fans will clearly be rooting for him to get this done in a big way.