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Defensively, the Detroit Lions have a strong, obvious need at cornerback for the 2023 offseason. Saying that could be perceived as a slight to some already on the roster.
One of the brighter potential stars the Lions do have at the position is Jerry Jacobs, an undrafted free agent from the 2021 class who has stepped up to provide some tenacity and playmaking at the position.
While the Lions need upgrades and they figure sure to come in the days ahead, it’s wise not to forget about Jacobs at the position. That’s especially true given his mindset for the future with the team.
Speaking to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com on the Twentyman in the Huddle podcast, Jacobs was asked about the potential of the Lions adding more depth in the backfield this offseason. Instead of being threatened by the potential move, Jacobs admitted he welcomes it because of the help and competition it will bring.
“I’m looking forward to who he’s going to get, any free agents or any in the draft. I ain’t going to complain. I love it. It’s gonna bring the fire to the food,” Jacobs said on the podcast. “I know the guys he’s gonna bring in are gonna be ready to compete, help us win and that’s what we need in the secondary right now. There’s no knock on nothing like that. We’re gonna compete at the end of the day, that’s football. I compete every day, so I’m ready to go.”
In terms of what Jacobs himself needs to do to stand out, as he explained, it has everything to do with collecting more interceptions. While they are glamour stats, Jacobs knows the impact they have on the game and why he needs to find a way to get more in his hands.
“I just know (the) one thing that I really needed to go tell my defensive back trainer, I think it was finding the ball because I’m there every time. As soon I ended the season I called him like ‘hey, if you can help me find a ball we’ll keep millions around here.’ That’s it. All truth,” Jacobs told Twentyman. “I’m there, but it’s like I wasn’t really trusting my knees so we’ve been working on that a lot, breaking all that. Finding the ball is the most important part of my game right now.”
Making more plays on his end is likely to keep Jacobs in the lineup no matter who else comes in, and it’s true that Jacobs is taking the right approach in terms of competition. He is ready to see the Lions make some additions this offseason, even if they come at his position.
That’s the definition of a team player, and a guy who doesn’t shy away from competition whatsoever.
Jacobs Excited to Get Back to Work With Lions
The offseason has just begun, but already, Jacobs is ready to get back at it in the Motor City and start on the path of the 2023 season.
As he told Twentyman, he’s ready to take it one step at a time from the start of the season, and he can’t stop thinking about getting back on the field and making things happen for the team.
“I’m ready to start it from game one. I don’t like how we started from game six but hey, we finished strong. I’m ready to start from game one and then start in training camp so I’m ready to get back,” Jacobs said. “I know I got to get my mind off (football), but I can’t. It’s just football. That’s what I love to do. Detroit’s where I want to be, so I’m ready to get back out there. I think it’s gonna be important for us to start early in training camp then move on to preseason and go from there.”
What was Jacobs’ takeaway from the 2022 year? Even though the Lions struggled early, the team came together and learned some valuable lessons about how to win. Those are lessons that he thinks the team can carry forward this season.
“I love that season. It didn’t go how we wanted, but everyone played pretty well at the end of the season. I evaluate it like we still got some things that we got to do better to make the team run, but overall, I just think we all came together to realize what we need to do to win,” he said. “I think we hit that point where we know what to do. I’m just ready to get back with the guys, get back the same chemistry and really get it rolling because we know what it takes to win and I think we know how how to do it.”
Taking the next steps for the Lions are significant now, and it will be interesting to see if they can do that once they do get the offseason going.
Jacobs a Defensive Building Block for Lions
No matter what happens from an upgrade standpoint, Jacobs has made a clear case to be considered one of the team’s building blocks on defense.
During the 2021 season as an undrafted rookie free agent, he managed to put up a total of 34 tackles before going down with an ACL injury. Beyond any statistics, the best asset he brought to the mix was his spirit and his grittiness. Those are the attributes which got Jacobs into the league, and at times, the Lions seemed to miss them early in the 2022 season as he continued to recover from offseason surgery.
After coming back, Jacobs rebounded to post 42 total tackles, eight passes defended and one interception. The pick against the New York Jets on first-and-10 early in the third quarter of Detroit’s eventual 20-17 win was the first that Jacobs has made in his career:
The fact that a player like Jacobs recognizes the team’s need for defensive help and is willing to talk about it is significant. It’s also telling that he will be welcoming those players in.
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