New England Patriots get undrafted gem in CB JC Jackson

The New England Patriots may have one of the top steals in this year’s undrafted free agent class in Maryland CB JC Jackson…

The New England Patriots, perhaps more than any team, exemplify what it means to value availability over ability.

The Patriots have a long history of making former busts successful, or even on a really basic level, putting talented yet unproven players in their system and watching them flourish.

They are hoping undrafted rookie JC Jackson out of Maryland can be the next player to prove himself worthy of a roster spot, and ascent quickly up the depth chart.

Jackson’s collegiate career started off down a rocky path.

He started out at the University of Florida as a top recruit, but took a medical redshirt his first year on campus and was kicked off the team after being charged with four felony counts for his involvement in an armed robbery.

He was later found not guilty on the charges brought against him but was still forced to move on from the University of Florida.

Jackson ended up playing at Riverside City College before ultimately transferring to Maryland for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

As a starter in both of his seasons at Maryland, Jackson quickly established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten.

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Jackson is built really well at around 5-foot-11, over 200 pounds. His deep speed is excellent, and his ability to make plays on the ball will translate to the next level.

Why did he go undrafted?

It could be the off-field red flags were too much for teams to ignore. It could also be the injury he suffered at Florida.

Even with those two things considered, it doesn’t make sense that someone who can excel like Jackson did in college at press-man coverage would go undrafted, especially after playing two years at a major program and really staying out of any kind of trouble for three years.

Jackson’s ability to react in zone coverage and be physical in press leads me to believe he will be an excellent corner at the next level, and it will only be a matter of time before he’s playing significant snaps.

Some had him ranked as a third round player in this year’s draft but figured he might fall to day three for the off-field stuff.

The Patriots snatched him up as an undrafted player, and it’s likely they’ll reap the benefits of that sooner rather than later.

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