The Cleveland Browns need an electric kick returner to gain an advantage on special teams. Drafting USC’s Adoree Jackson will not only improve the special teams, but he can also improve a depleted secondary in need of a cornerback.
The Cleveland Browns secondary did not play well last year as injuries and inexperience crippled the secondary, leading to ineffective play. Of the multiple positions in the draft that need upgraded, cornerback is one of the major areas of concern.
The group was supposed to be led by veteran corner Joe Haden. However, injuries severely limited Haden. When he did play, he was often the target of the opposing quarterbacks. Without Haden providing veteran leadership and playmaking stability to the group, the cornerback room quickly began to fall victim to inexperience.
More from Dawg Pound Daily
- How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
- Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
- 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
- Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
- 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target
A 2016 draft day trade for Jamar Taylor proved to be a wise investment as he took advantage of his second-chance opportunity in Cleveland. A second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2013 NFL Draft, Taylor floundered in Miami much in the same way Justin Gilbert struggled in Cleveland. But the Browns took a chance agreeing to swap seventh round picks with the Dolphins to acquire Taylor.
The move proved to be a wise investment as Taylor made 14 starts and eventually grabbed the starting outside cornerback opposite Haden. Although injuries limited Taylor as the season progressed, his play was good enough to earn him a three-year contract extension.
Another player who showed promise was undrafted free agent Briean Boddy-Calhoun from the University of Minnesota. He quickly made a good impression earning playing time at the slot cornerback position. His play was a bright spot for the Browns, although he did go through significant growing pains in the process.
Beyond those three players, there is not much left in the Browns cornerback room that can looked upon as building blocks for the future.
Drafting Adoree Jackson will immediately improve both the secondary and the kick return game.
Adoree Jackson is electric on the field as he is one of those players that makes fans hold their breath every time he gets the ball. He plays defense, offense and returns kicks. His diversity as a defender, pass catcher and returner make him a player who can make an immediate impact in 2017.
Jackson’s strengths as a cornerback are clearly defined in his NFL.com souting report. The knock-on Jackson was his lack of coverage skills heading into the 2016 NCAA season. His sophomore year he looked like a fast player with ball skills who struggled in coverage on defense. However, this seems to have changed, according to his draft profile:
"Feel in coverage has improved substantially from his freshman season. Shows greater pattern recognition and is able to maintain coverage around the field. Has necessary hip flip and foot quickness to recover from mistakes in press and lapses in coverage in space. Plays in a variety of coverage techniques. Able to mirror and match from press."
It is impressive to see Jackson convert a weakness into a strength over the past season. As a track athlete, Jackson has been unable to participate in USC spring practices or games. After the draft, for the first time in Jackson’s life, he will dedicate his talents full-time to football. Hence, his ceiling is very high.
He also excels as a kick returner, a piece of his game highlighted in his profile:
"High-end return talent who can swing games in an instant. His eight career return touchdowns make him an immediate return man for any team that takes him."
As a kick returner, Jackson can turn an average special teams unit into one of the league’s most feared overnight.
However, Jackson’s frame and coverage techniques can still improve. At 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds, Jackson is on the small side for a cornerback, as pointed out in his profile:
"Smallish for an outside cornerback. Might be limited to just work in the slot.. . . Lack of size and run-support strength could make him an early target for teams who like to run out of 11 personnel (three wide receivers)."
Although he may lack size, Jackson makes up for it with the ability to tackle and a fearless mentality to take on ball carriers.
Speed kills. But sometimes it can kill the person wielding the speed. Jackson needs to do a better job of playing under control when facing receivers with excellent route running abilities. Receivers can often use excellent routes to use Jackson’s speed against him, per his profile:
"Can be a little over-aggressive with pace of bail coverage when fearing speed. Has a very slight hitch in transition forward from his pedal. Allowed routes to leverage him too far out of the middle of the field when he had no safety help."
The bottom line is that Jackson is more than simply a small corner with coverage concerns. His value lies as a kick returner and in his ability to be an offensive weapon on occasion. Combine his defense with these added elements, and Jackson can become a very dangerous player very early in his NFL career.
The Browns secondary needs a major infusion of talent and depth in the cornerback room, and Jackson provides that infusion of talent and depth. However, Jackson will be a project for the Browns in the cornerback room.
As a cornerback, Jackson would probably push Boddy-Calhoun for playing time in the slot. His coverage skills need to improve, so dedicating his life full-time to football should bring quick improvement in that area over his rookie year. Jackson is not an immediate plug-and-play cornerback, so he will not make an immediate impact on the defense his rookie year.
But let’s be real, the Browns are not drafting Jackson to start as a corner immediately. The Browns are taking Jackson to return kicks.
The Browns return game has been awful in past seasons. The most excitement Browns fans experience in the kick return game is holding their breath in anticipation of whether the returner is going to catch the ball.
It is time bring in a player who can add a new dimension to the kick return game. Jackson’s ability to return punts and kickoffs will take longtime Browns fans back to the day when catching the kick was not an adventure set to the Benny Hill theme song.
Next: PFF mock draft reshapes Browns defense
Remember the excitement that newly retired Josh Cribbs brought to the Browns when he was returning kicks? Why not bring that back to Cleveland by drafting Adoree Jackson?