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It seems as if the Philadelphia Eagles have placed an emphasis on upgrading their secondary this offseason. The team picked up athletic safety Anthony Harris late last week and plan to meet with free-agent cornerback Adoree’ Jackson on Monday night, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jackson is visiting the New York Giants on Sunday night and — assuming he doesn’t leave the Big Apple with a signed contract — then plans to check out Philadelphia the next day. Several Eagles players took to social media to recruit the 25-year-old cornerback who was released by the Tennessee Titans on March 16. Jackson, a first-round pick (18th overall) in 2017, has two interceptions and 33 pass breakups in four NFL seasons.
However, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is coming off a mysterious knee injury in 2020 that sidelined him for 13 games. The Titans officially put Jackson on injured reserve ahead of Week 1 and then he came back for the final three contests. He racked up 188 tackles in his first three seasons and graded out as the No. 15 overall cornerback in 2019, per Pro Football Focus.
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.
The Titans saved $10.2 million by cutting Jackson, so the decision to part ways had little to do with his on-field production. He possesses elite speed — 4.42 seconds in the 40 — and was a capable kick returner in college. He ranked fourth all-time at USC on the kickoff return list (1,374 yards) and handled some punts in Tennessee. Jackson also played wide receiver, running back, and defensive back while serving as a return specialist in high school at Serra High (California).
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Eagles Safety Hypes Up Young Guys in Philly
Second-year safety K’Von Wallace thinks too many people are counting the Philadelphia Eagles out in the NFC East. The 23-year-old told Sports Illustrated’s Eagles Maven that the young guys, specifically Jalen Reagor and Jalen Hurts, are hungrier than ever to prove their doubters wrong in 2021. Wallace and his teammates are hearing all the noise and choosing not to focus on it.
“[People] are already downplaying us in the East,” Wallace said, via Conor Myles. “They’re already saying we are going to be the worst team with the worst record. They’re already saying Hurts is not going to be able to win games. They’re saying Reagor is the worst first-round receiver taken. We know these things are said, but we aren’t focused on them. We aren’t really too worried about what they say.”
Watch Out for Asante Samuel Jr. in Draft
The Eagles are expected to select either a wide receiver or quarterback in the first round, maybe a once-in-a-lifetime tight end. That much appears to be set in stone.
In the second round? Well, the choices are a little murkier but the team would be wise to check out the tape on Asante Samuel Jr. The Florida State product is the son of former Eagles great Asante Samuel and looks every bit the part of a future NFL stud cornerback. He’s projected to go mid to late second round in most mock drafts. The Eagles hold the 37th overall pick (second round) and 70th overall (third round).
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