There’s an old adage in the NFL about leaving cornerbacks “on an island” meaning they lock in on a single wide receiver in man coverage. It’s what every team wants from their top corners and it helps make the rest of the defense better when you don’t have to commit extra defenders into coverage.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted one such cornerback last season in Joey Porter Jr. By the time Porter was ready to enter the starting lineup, he was confident he wanted the opposing team’s best receiver.
Now this offseason, the Steelers added Donte Jackson via a trade with the Carolina Panthers which gives them a player who can lock down the other side of the field as well.
The highest-graded CBs in man coverage in 2023 pic.twitter.com/Tny6bMbre5
— PFF (@PFF) June 27, 2024
Pro Football Focus ranked the five highest-graded cornerbacks in man coverage and Jackson checked in a No. 5 with an 81.4. The only cornerbacks ahead of Jackson were Sauce Gardner, Trent McDuffie, Jamel Dean and Tariq Woolen. For the sake of comparison, Jackson’s overall coverage grade was only 66.6 which really illustrates where his strength lies in man coverage.
