After serving as the New England Patriots’ number two cornerback alongside Stephon Gilmore for the better part of the previous two seasons, J.C. Jackson took the next step in his development in 2021. With Gilmore first on the non-football injury list, and later traded to the Carolina Panthers, Jackson took over as the Patriots’ CB1.
He has not looked back since, further establishing himself as one of the best young cornerbacks in football and the NFL’s premier ball-hawk. Currently, Jackson is ranked second in the league behind only the Dallas Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs in interceptions: he has picked off seven passes so far this year, bringing his career total to 24 — the highest number in the NFL since his arrival as a rookie free agent in 2018.