Adoree' Jackson Excited for New Role on Giants Defense

New York Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson, who has primarily been a perimeter cornerback, has always welcomed a new challenge.

So when defensive coordinator Wink Martindale decided to have a look at Jackson, who has primarily been a perimeter cornerback his entire career, in the slot as part of a trio that included rookies TRe Hawkins and Deonte Banks on the outside, Jackson jumped at the opportunity.

“I said this like two weeks ago; it makes me feel like Logan Ryan in a sense,” Jackson told reporters Tuesday. “Being able to play outside, then play inside and do different things. If it comes to that understanding or whatever it is to help the team and be selfless but also just thrive in the role I’m given.”

More likely than not, the Giants will call on Jackson to be a mobile cornerback throughout an individual game, depending on opposing offensive looks. If Martindale decides to roll with a base look between plays, for example, it may demand the oldest member of his secondary shift back to the outside and decipher his next assignment on the fly.

That situation isn’t a concern for Jackson either, as he knows the answer lies in staying calm and utilizing the greatest tool available to himself and the eleven other teammates surrounding him—communication.

“Probably just breathing, just resetting,” Jackson said about handling the pressure of playing outside. “Going out there and telling them ‘This way’ or ‘that way’ or I’ve got the linebackers or the safeties, we’re all on the same page, talking, or we meet early throughout the week or throughout the day to help ourselves be able to play faster. I think that’s the biggest key: communication and being on the same page with everybody on the defense.”

This communication element has become not only the source of Jackson’s confidence in tackling his potential new role this season but serves as the foundation of the defense’s growth over the past couple of years. With Martindale at the helm, the Giants have slowly built a unit that excels at relaying information across the field and using it to adjust their pressure package and overall coverage responsibilities.

Even if one player can’t make a solid read before the snap and the group gets exposed on a play, having twelve sets of eyes decrypting the schemes and splits allows for a rapid breakdown of errors made and keys for improvement on the next drive. For Jackson, this means he can fall back on his fellow corners that have played the part before and exchange knowledge with them that will elevate his intangibles as the season progresses.

“What’s great about this group is having (cornerback) Darnay (Holmes), (cornerback Cor’Dale) Flott, and (cornerback) Zyon (Gilbert) to be able to talk to and help me out while I’m in there and just trying to push each other to be better," he said.

“So, it makes me comfortable, and then at the end of the day, just playing football, studying, seeing different splits, reading your different keys and different things like that. We always talk about communication, and just one person seeing something can help everybody on the defense, and vice versa with the linebackers and safeties, whoever it may be, so I think that’s also helpful.”

It’s the same reason why Jackson carries no anxiety regarding the prosperity of the outside corner position as it’s shaping up with his rookie counterparts in Banks and Hawkins III. In their first- and sixth-round picks of last April’s draft, the Giants are bringing in two quality defenders who proved they can set the tone on the perimeter, limit damage down the field, and force turnovers in pursuit of the football.

There is no doubt that the professional level will serve as a tougher task for them, facing wide receivers that also know how to establish the edge. Yet, take away the impressive stats both players earned at the collegiate level. Jackson believes their work ethic and tenacity to learn the game are equally capable of solidifying the outside.

“Tre, I just like his tenacity, how calm he is, how willing and eager he is to learn,” Jackson said of the Old Dominion product. “He asks a lot of questions, is very respectable, and works hard. You can see a guy that probably didn’t get drafted as high as he probably wanted to or as he planned or should’ve but goes out there and does his job and keeps doing it at a high level.

“Then with Banks, just respectable as well. Both of them are genuine guys. I think that just his talent – athleticism- is crazy to be able to see and watch him play. He has a lot of great tangibles, and I feel like both of them, with their tangibles, can do something great, but it’s just up to them.”

When it all boils down, Jackson considers having Banks and Hawkins III in the mix an excellent chance to challenge his skill sets, grow as a leader, and compete. Instead of being selfish and quarreling about his reps being taken away, the former first-round draft pick is ready to bring the two youngsters under his wing and teach them the tricks to the trade. In return, he can learn new things from them, and exchanging wisdom from both sides will set the standard higher and benefit the position in the long run.

“They have some tangibles that I don’t have,” Jackson raved of his teammates. “Obviously, they’re taller, longer frame corners, great in the press, and I really look at them too – I think it just levels my play. In a sense where I see them do great things like ‘Okay, I want to compete with them as well.’ It’s more of you see them do something, so it’s like, ‘Okay, I just want to show that I can do it, too, or I’m still doing it.

“You know about this league? It’s all about competition and raising the level of competition… To see them come in and compete and play the way they’ve been playing. I’m not going to lie; I tell them I feel like their uncle, and I’m just proud every time I go out there and see them play, work, and do different things.

“It’s one of those things like when I was a rookie, how would I want the vets to treat me? So now, it’s me paying that forward to them. I just want to see them do things better than I did and not make the mistakes that I made, so at the end of the day, I’m excited for them.”

Last summer, it was safety Xavier McKinney who came off an impressive 2021 campaign and was granted the opportunity to assume a leadership role and mentor his position group into a better 2022. As the 2023 season draws closer, Jackson has earned his opportunity. He is set on making that his sole focus for a year that’s already holding high expectations for the entire organization.

He knows the decision-making eyes will be all over his performance for more than future roster purposes. Jackson will be eligible for a new contract at the end of the upcoming season, and the team will need to make a careful decision given the injury woes that have crept up and limited the veteran to 26 games since 2021.

That’s not what will be on the top of Jackson’s mind as his long-term presence in New York hangs in the balance. Instead, it’s all about showing up, displaying what he can do this fall, and helping lead the defense to greener pastures.

“No, I’m just taking it a day at a time. I know there have been talks about it, but at the end of the day, God took care of it before, and He’ll do it again, so I’m not worried about what’s going on," he said.

"Just control what I can control; that’s my attitude. How I show up to work and go out there and compete every day, I know everything will fall into place.”