With the departure of Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, the Los Angeles Chargers are now in need of an additional cornerback.
With a new defensive coordinator in Chris O'Leary coming in, the ideal outcome would have been to re-sign St-Juste given the advancements he made in his time in Los Angeles. From a monetary perspective, however, his departure makes sense. St-Juste signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Green Bay Packers.
The Chargers are evidently betting on their ability to replace his production at a cheaper price.
This could obviously come from the draft, and it would not be all that surprising if Los Angeles spent a Day 1 or Day 2 selection on one of the top cornerbacks. Their ability to implement their zone-heavy, tackling-dependent coverage scheme in 2026 is that important to their overall identity.
But there remains a free agent on the market whom the Philadelphia Eagles have all but discarded with their signing fo Tariq Woolen who could be a viable option for St-Juste-like resurgence. Adoree' Jackson is a capable outside corner, and he could make similar advancements in Los Angeles' scheme.
Adoree' Jackson is a prime candidate for a St-Juste-like development
The Los Angeles Rams made some splash moves in their secondary this offseason, acquiring Trent McDuffie via trade and inking Jaylen Watson to a multi-year contract. Outside of that, the positional market has been quite shallow.
The Chargers, however, are experts at maximizing their talent at that position. With his experience under Jesse Minter, one should expect that mantra to continue under O'Leary.
After Jackson was forced into a starting role last season in Philadelphia, he struggled mightily to begin the year. Although he improved his coverage abilities over the course of the season, his weak tackling and lack of size and physicality on the outside hurt his effectiveness. It's led to a lack of immediate interest in him this offseason.
But if a player can stay with their man in one-on-one situations and move quick enough to the ball when operating in a zone defense, the Chargers know how to instill a tackling mindset.
Jackson, at this point in his career, should not be considered a starting-caliber corner. But Los Angeles doesn't need that. With Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, and Donte Jackson under contract, Adoree' could be the perfect type of player to fill out their depth at the position.
St-Juste, although younger, was in a similar position when he joined Los Angeles, coming off a rough year with the Washington Commanders and needing to make improvements in his physicality and overall tackling ability.
Per Spotrac, Jackson is projected to earn a one-year, $1.8 million contract this offseason. Perhaps it wouldn't be the flashiest signing, but it could be one with decent upside as the Chargers attempt to reformulate their defense.