2. J.C. Jackson and Derwin James, LA Chargers
I know, it might be shocking to see J.C. Jackson and Derwin James not be the top spot on this list. Derwin James is one of the best safeties in the league and you could make the case that he is the most impactful player in the secondary in the entire league for what he brings to the team.
Jackson is obviously no slouch either as he is a true CB1 who earned a Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro nod in 2021. It is really hard to get a better pairing than Jackson and James but there is one team that has done it and we will explain why once we get there.
As far as the Bolts are concerned, it is really hard to not be over the moon excited for what this duo can do together on the same defense. James is the quarterback of the defense who lines up in a variety of roles and having that true, lockdown CB1 next to him is going to be fantastic. We saw how well it worked with Casey Hayward in the one season together.
Jackson is coming from a defensive genius in Bill Belichick but is coming to another one in Brandon Staley. Staley's defense is all about a deep, versatile secondary and what the team was really missing was that true CB1 that can create takeaways. Jackson should absolutely thrive in Staley's defense.
There is a really good chance that these two players elevate each other and by the time we do this list a year from now, they are the runaway favorites for the top cornerback-safety pairing in the NFL.