J.C. Jackson ranked as a top-3 cornerback heading into the 2022 season

The folks over at CBS Sports have been on a steady schedule of posting their collective top 10 players at every position in the NFL ahead of training camps starting up.

This time around, NFL analyst Patrik Walker had the honor to rank his top 10 cornerbacks. Last year, the Chargers were unfortunately unable to place a player on this list. This year, however, is a different story.

First-year Chargers cornerback and massive free-agent signing J.C. Jackson came in at number three this year, only behind the Dolphins’ Xavier Howard and Rams superstar Jalen Ramsey.

Here’s what Walker had to say about the Bolts’ newest defensive playmaker:

“As if the Chargers’ defense wasn’t already in maniac mode after trading for Khalil Mack as a rebuttal to the Denver Broncos acquiring Russell Wilson, but adding Jackson makes them that much more sociopathic. Jackson didn’t simply put up numbers for this Patriots, but he did so in the shadow of Stephon Gilmore, until Gilmore was no longer present and everyone had to finally acknowledge just how dominant Jackson truly is. This is a defensive back with 25 interceptions in his first four seasons — 17 over the last two years alone — and he’s coming off of a season that saw him mount a career-best 23 pass breakups (also higher than anyone else on this list in that category). Now set to line up behind Mack and Joey Bosa and in a secondary with Derwin James, Nasir Adderley and Asante Samuel Jr., Jackson might only be getting started.”

It really can’t be stated enough just how incredible it is that the Chargers landed Jackson. The entire secondary picked off seven combined passes during the 2021 season and the whole totaled just 11. Jackson, by himself, picked off eight last year and had nine the season before that. To say he could be a massive shot of juice to this group this year may be the understatement of the offseason.

As far as the rest of the list, here’s who ranked fourth on down:

• 4.) Marshon Lattimore, Saints
• 5.) Trevon Diggs, Cowboys
• 6.) Denzel Ward, Browns
• 7.) Kenny Moore II, Colts
• 8.) Tre’Davious White, Bills
• 9.) A.J. Terrell, Falcons
• 10.) Marlon Humphrey, Ravens