Jackson playing slot seems like possibility for defense
Playing Adoree Jackson at slot corner full time seems like a genuine possibility for the Giants defense.
No longer is this a one- or two-practice trial balloon designed to get rookie Tre Hawkins III on the field with the first team.
Jackson is rotating inside for snaps pretty consistently, and he said he’s comfortable with that being his permanent position if necessary.
“If it’s to help the team, if it’s for the betterment of the team, I’m for that,” Jackson said this week.
Coordinator Wink Martindale wouldn’t tip his hand on his intentions for the veteran corner.
“We’re doing all kinds of different combinations, and a lot of it is we wanted to get Tre with the ones to see how he handled that, and he’s handled that well,” Martindale said. “There’s a lot of competition out there at all the spots.”
The most Brian Daboll would give on Jackson’s assignment was “yeah, we’ll see.”
“We’ve got to keep practicing different combinations,” Daboll said.
But here’s the reality: whichever three corners are most ready on Sept. 10 are the ones who need to face the Dallas Cowboys’ trio of CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks.
If that means Jackson in the slot with two rookies on the outside in Deonte Banks and Hawkins, so be it.
“I did it before in college, I did it in high school, I did it a little bit in the league when I was in Tennessee,” Jackson said of his minimal slot experience. “I wouldn’t say I played there a lot, but at the end of the day … if you know the scheme and what the defense is, if you know what your leverage is and what you need to do, you just play to the strengths of the call and you figure out where to go from there.”
Fourth-year pro Darnay Holmes and second-year man Cor’Dale Flott competed inside to start camp, and Flott has made some plays here and there, sparking hope that he can eventually grab hold of a significant role.
But he’s still developing, Holmes has struggled, and Hawkins, an outside corner, is playing extremely well.
Hawkins doesn’t have slot experience, either, so it wouldn’t be easy for the young corner to immediately start covering NFL receivers without a sideline boundary.
It’s a difficult position. It puts the defender on an island.
No one’s saying Jackson would be perfect there, either. Darius Slayton beat him for a red zone touchdown catch on Friday.
Still, the seventh-year veteran said he learned a lot from former Titans and Giants teammate Logan
Ryan, and he trusts DBs coach Jerome Henderson to guide him in gameplans.
“Knowing the game and understanding it,” Jackson said. “When [Henderson and I] meet, [we’re] talking about formations, splits, the personnel, who is what [and] who is where. So always having that to play when I’m out there on the field.”
“Then [it’s about] just being able to talk to the guys, having Logan Ryan before and playing in the nickel position and learning things from him was pretty cool to have,” he added. “I think that helps me a lot to just keep being able to play the game the way I want to play it.”
Losing Jackson as a tackler on outside runs will be something for Martindale to consider, as well. Jackson played hard-nosed run defense last season. The Giants would need Banks and Hawkins both to stick their noses into downhill runs for this trio to work with Jackson inside, too.
It’s clear, however, even though it’s early, that Jackson playing inside is a real possibility.
The reason lies in the schedule even past the Week 1 Cowboys opener.
Even the lowly Arizona Cardinals will trot out receivers Hollywood Brown, Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch in Week 2, followed by the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jajuan Jennings in Week 3 — on top of running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle.
The Seattle Seahawks will boast wideout DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 4. The Miami Dolphins’ Week 5 lineup features Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Braxton Berrios. Then it will be the Buffalo Bills’ Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Trent Sherfield.
Whatever is best for the defense is where Jackson will play.
Daniel Jones acknowledged Saquon Barkley’s difficult circumstances on the franchise tag and said he was “happy” Barkley showed up in a SportsCenter sitdown with ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio.
“I think he’s in a tough spot with the contract stuff,” Jones said. “I think it says a lot about him for him to be here for this team. He means a ton to us on the field, obviously, with his playmaking, and then in the locker room as a leader, just his ability to influence guys, to impact guys and kinda bring everybody up with him.”
So far Barkley has kept his head down and been just another player at camp despite the disappointment of ending up on the one-year, $10.1 million tag with $909,000 in incentives that will be difficult to obtain.
Kafka publicly backs alma mater
Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka unexpectedly and voluntarily broached the subject of Northwestern in a rare opening statement at his weekly press conference on Thursday.
“Good morning,” Kafka said. “You guys might ask some questions about Northwestern. I’ll start by, first and foremost, I’m here focused on training camp and the upcoming season. I’ve got nothing but love and respect for Coach Fitz, and I had a great experience at Northwestern. I really did. Many, many lifelong friends to this day. I met my wife there. I started a family there. So I had a great experience at Northwestern. Thank you.”
The Wildcats’ football program is under fire amid disturbing hazing allegations and lawsuits that prompted the firing of head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Kafka played quarterback there under Fitzgerald from 2006-09 after a 2005 redshirt season.
Northwestern promoted January hire defensive coordinator David Braun as interim coach for this season. But the school will launch a search for a permanent successor, and Kafka makes sense as a candidate after being a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals head job this past February.
Kafka no doubt delivered his opening statement to ward off questions about the current controversy. But in the process he also backed Fitzgerald and the University, which only strengthens him as a candidate for the Wildcats’ job if and when it comes time.
He deflected questions on that hypothetical hiring, too, though.
“I’d say that I’m just focused on today,” Kafka said.