Ed Donatell And This Year’s Best Free Agent Corner
K. Joudry
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The first Ed Donatell press conference as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator went well. He has an infectious energy, an approach that ought to go over well with the defense. He noted that there was a ton of work to be done but that the team would have a ton of fun doing this work. It’s a pretty different message from what the team received these past eight seasons.
One question that came up was what he looks for in a corner. As we all know, the purple corners weren’t even close to good enough last season. A main irony is that Mike Zimmer – who is an expert in the secondary – couldn’t get his corners to perform at even an average level these past couple years. It largely led to the defense’s struggles.
Donatell explained that he has specific skills in mind for his corners. “First of all, we want them to have ball skills,” Donatell explained, “we want to be able to cover man-to-man.” He then explains that he wants “corners outside” that can “cover man-to-man,” describing it as a “great asset.” The broader response indicates that he’s looking for a defensive backs group that can work as a unit and that he wants his safeties to be “interchangeable.”
The response from Ed Donatell brings one player to mind: J.C. Jackson.
Jackson ought to be the subject of the team’s most important free agency discussions. He perfectly fits what Ed Donatell was saying in his presser.
The 6’1, 200 pound corner is only 26-years-old. He ran a 4.46 forty-yard dash. Last season, he had 8 interceptions. The year before it was 9 interceptions. It’s also notable that he played every game in 2021 and had 23 passes defended, per Pro Football Reference. In other words, Jackson is an impressive player. All of this suggests that he has the necessary size, speed, and ball skills to be a CB1 in the Donatell scheme.
Various free agency lists (PFF, The Athletic, Pro Football Network) have Jackson as the highest-ranked corner. It’s also noteworthy that Jackson has recently suggested the Patriots don’t seem overly interested in re-signing him.
And then here’s the real reason to be intrigued: Minnesota can create enough money to bring him in. Getting $27.7 million off the books isn’t that difficult. A sensible Kirk Cousins decision could really help that number to grow. PFF predicts Jackson will get a 4-year, $18 million per year deal. The team could accommodate that $18 million hit in 2022 or push some of that money down the road. The team has some financial flexibility and options here.
Not too long ago, I offered a handful of bold predictions. One of them was that Minnesota would acquire a true CB1. The Ed Donatell presser did little to lessen my belief that the team could indeed bring in a tier-1 corner.
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