49ers have to target these 4 free-agent cornerbacks in 2022
By Peter Panacy
2. player. 47. . Cornerback. New England Patriots. J.C. Jackson
49ers Cornerback Target No. 2: J.C. Jackson, Patriots
Good luck with figuring out what New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will do with his offseason roster decisions, meaning it’s anyone’s guess whether or not cornerback J.C. Jackson sticks around after playing his 2021 campaign on a second-round restricted free-agent tender.
It’s possible Belichick slaps the franchise tag on Jackson this offseason, either looking to keep him around or perhaps shop him on the open market via a trade.
And it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jackson command a lot of interest, either by the way of a trade on the tag or purely in NFL free agency for big bucks.
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The reason why is Jackson’s ability as a speedy coverage guy with prowess in both man- and zone-coverage schemes, and that prowess has allowed him to register 24 interceptions and 46 pass breakups over his four-year career, including a league-best 16 passes broken up entering Week 13.
With the 2022 NFL free agency market notably thin at the position, a player like Jackson could price himself out of San Francisco’s comfort range, but that doesn’t mean the 49ers should remove Jackson from their radar.