J.C. Jackson has it covered when Brandon Staley pictures his new Chargers defense

Just one participant has been assured more cash in free company this offseason than the Chargers pledged to J.C. Jackson.

And Von Miller is a three-time All-Professional edge rusher who has been chosen to eight Professional Bowls.

That’s how necessary Jackson was to teach Brandon Staley’s plans coming into 2022.

“The extra protection gamers you’ve gotten the extra number of coverages you may play,” Staley defined. “That’s definitely what we have been searching for, any person along with his protection potential towards No. 1 receivers.”

Staley and the Chargers secured their man final week with a five-year contract that ensures Jackson $40 million and is value as much as $82.5 million.

Throughout his introductory information convention Tuesday, Jackson stated his relationship with security Derwin James, a fellow Floridian, helped lure him to the Chargers. He additionally cited the Chargers’ standing as “a younger workforce, up-and-coming workforce.”

What Jackson brings is the prospect for Staley to play a defensive model extra to his liking, a method the Chargers have been unable to exhibit constantly in 2021 given their personnel.

Too typically final season the secondary struggled to remain tight in protection, that incapability serving to lead the NFL’s worst protection on third down; opponents transformed almost half (49.5%) of the time.

The Chargers make use of what is known as “pattern-match zone,” that means they ceaselessly line up in what seems to be zone earlier than falling into coverages that play extra like man.

Having a participant with Jackson’s man-to-man prowess will allow the protection to be extra dynamic and diverse.

“With a man like him, it offers you much more depth in your secondary,” Staley stated. “It offers you much more protection prospects towards premium passing assaults.”

Jackson will play outdoors, presenting the Chargers with the choice of transferring Asante Samuel Jr. into the slot in sub packages with Michael Davis taking part in the opposite outdoors place.

It must be famous, nonetheless, that Staley has talked a lot this offseason about by no means having sufficient defensive backs, that means the Chargers nonetheless may add to the group.

With Jackson, the Chargers ought to have the ability to keep away from taking part in the form of zone schemes that Staley stated can cripple a protection in essential occasions.

“Once you play zone, there’s extra air within the protection for them to benefit from off schedule,” he stated. “So, when you’ve gotten good protection gamers, you may keep related longer within the down, and it’s a greater place to be.”

Jackson, 26, who spent the primary 4 years of his profession with New England, has 25 interceptions in 62 video games. He had 17 pickoffs over the past two seasons. He simply made his first Professional Bowl.

Staley stated the addition of Jackson will “permit us to actually change into much more full protection.” Notably, he stated one thing very comparable after the Chargers traded this month for edge rusher Khalil Mack.

Staley defined what units Jackson aside from a lot of the different corners within the NFL is his potential to match up with prime broad receivers play after play.

“He’s one of many few guys within the league that really travels with No. 1 receivers,” Staley stated. “If you happen to have a look at [Amari] Cooper, [CeeDee] Lamb, you have a look at Mike Evans, [Stefon] Diggs … he’s following these guys. So that you’re not simply seeing him cowl. You’re seeing him cowl premium guys.

“It’s that. Then it’s the ball decide and ball abilities. Within the deep a part of the sphere, this man can flip you over. … He has that play model that we’re searching for. He’s obtained that kind of toughness, vibrant lights, he’s up for it.”

Davonte Adams is a No. 1 receiver Jackson will now see twice a season. An All-Professional the final two years, Adams was traded final week to Las Vegas after eight seasons with Inexperienced Bay.

Requested in regards to the problem of going through Adams and the Raiders, Jackson stated: “They higher be prepared for us. I don’t need to speak about him. They higher be prepared for us.”

C.J. in Riverside

Jackson was born and raised in Florida earlier than spending most of his school profession at Maryland. However the Chargers received’t be his first workforce in Southern California.

He performed one season at Riverside Metropolis Faculty after being dismissed from the College of Florida following some authorized hassle throughout his freshman yr.

“These have been in all probability my darkest occasions …” Jackson remembered Tuesday. “Guys who went by juco, they understand how that juco life is.”

Jackson admitted that he thought of quitting, explaining that his motivation to proceed was a easy want to enhance his scenario.

“You’ve obtained to actually begin from the underside and present how dangerous you really need it,” he stated. “There have been days have been I used to be like, ‘I’m not going to highschool. I’m not going to observe.’ ”

Now, solely three cornerbacks league-wide have a contract of larger potential worth than Jackson’s deal.

From undrafted to probably the greatest round, Jackson stated he’s prepared for his subsequent chapter, one he predicted weeks in the past.

“I used to be telling me agent, ‘We’re going to L.A.’” Jackson stated. “I used to be telling him from the start.”