Nebraska CB could be a fit for Denver
Another Lamar Jackson is coming to the NFL.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is the presumptive league MVP and Nebraska cornerback Lamar Jackson figures to be a mid-round draft pick who could make sense for the Broncos to pick.
“He’s doing his thing in the league and I’m on my way,” the Cornhuskers’ Jackson said this week at the Senior Bowl. “There could probably be some marketing money in that.”
Jackson’s final season at Nebraska put him in position to make some money — he had 40 tackles, three interceptions, 12 pass break-ups and was secondteam All-Big Ten.
“Definitely my best year — by far,” he said. “I have a lot of football in front of me and feel like my best football is in front of me, but I was blessed to put good things on film this year. My junior year was decent, but I knew there was a whole lot more to prove.”
Jackson, 21, is the tallest (6 feet, 2/8 inches) and biggest (206 pounds) cornerback at the Senior Bowl and his tape shows an ability to play physical man coverage and a knack for finding the football while playing zone.
The Broncos should be looking at every available cornerback because of the uncertainty at the position, which produced only two of the team’s 10 interceptions in 2019.
Chris Harris: Headed into free agency for the first time.
Bryce Callahan: Didn’t play a snap in 2019 (foot injury).
Isaac Yiadom/Duke Dawson/ Davontae Harris: All had chances to start — Yiadom and Harris outside and Dawson in the slot. Only Yiadom was still starting at season’s end.
Will Parks: A safety by trade who started and ended the year as the nickel with hand surgery in between. He is a free agent.
De’Vante Bausby: Sustained a season-ending neck injury in
Week 4 (he announced on Twitter this month he has been cleared) and is a restricted free agent.
See why the Broncos should zero in on a cornerback even if Chris Harris is re-signed? General manager John Elway has seven picks in rounds 1-4 so selecting two cornerbacks would make sense.
Jackson is certainly confident he can jump right onto an NFL field and be productive.
“With my intangibles and athletic ability, I can star in any style,” he said. “I feel like I’m best in press-man and can be one of those guys you put on an island in a game. But it’s great to be in zone coverage looking at the quarterback’s eyes and getting my hands on some footballs.”
Jackson played quarterback in high school (Elk Grove, Calif.). He chose Nebraska for the chance to play cornerback, but had only two interceptions in his first three years (24 starts).
As a senior, the Cornhuskers’ coaches trusted Jackson in a variety of situations. At Minnesota on Oct. 12, his task was traveling with receiver Rashod Bateman.
He held Bateman to one catch for minus-4 yards; he finished the year with 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Gophers rolled 34-7.
Jackson lined up at left cornerback (32 snaps), right cornerback (24 snaps) and blitzed off the edge seven times.
“I feel good when the coaches asked me to take the best receiver,” Jackson said. “I was rolling last year and (Bateman) was supposed to be their guy so the coaches said, ‘Let’s put our guy on their guy.’ We came up short in the game, but it was job well done for Lamar Jackson.”
The Nebraska-Minnesota tape showed good tracking of the football downfield and a willingness to help out in the run game. Bateman beat him on a post route, but the pass was overthrown.
Jackson lists Arizona’s Patrick Peterson, Jacksonville’s A.J. Bouye and the Los Angeles Rams’ Jalen Ramsey as his favorite cornerbacks. He likes watching them, but can’t wait to go against the league’s top receivers.
“When you’re talking about the NFL, every receiver is capable and lined up out there for a reason,” Jackson said. “I can’t wait to be on that stage. If I do get one of the main guys I look up to and lock them down, it will be a check on my list.”