Donte Jackson believes Los Angeles’ cornerback room can hold up regardless of who is on the field.
The Los Angeles Chargers have plenty of confidence in their cornerback room, but that does not mean there aren't still plenty of questions surrounding the position.
One of the biggest questions is how defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary plans to distribute playing time. The Bolts rotated their corners at times last season, and there is a possibility they could take a similar approach again this year.
Veteran cornerback Donte Jackson was asked about the possibility of that being the case and made it clear that he isn't concerned about how the coaching staff decides to handle the snaps.
“Whatever the coaches want, man,” Jackson said.
That answer reflects the mentality the Chargers want from the locker room. There are multiple players competing for opportunities, and rather than worrying about individual playing time, Jackson believes the group has bought into doing whatever is necessary to help the defense succeed.
“We a selfless group,” Jackson said. “We believe in everybody, we know what everybody brings to the table.”
That kind of confidence will be important for a position group that still has something to prove. Jackson understands that every cornerback in the room wants to be on the field.
“We know how bad everybody wants to be out there,” he said. “That’s just something for the coaches to figure out.”
That competition could ultimately benefit the Chargers, but it also highlights the uncertainty surrounding the position. A rotation can work when multiple players consistently perform at a high level. If there is a noticeable drop-off between corners when a certain guy is on the sidelines, however, opposing offenses will have opportunities to attack whichever matchup is the weakest.
That said, Jackson doesn't believe that will be an issue.
“I don’t think the defense misses a step regardless of who’s out there,” he said. “We take pride in that for sure.”
That is certainly what the Chargers hope to see.
The talent and confidence are there with players such as Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart and Deane Leonard, but the young guys in the cornerback room still have to prove that they can consistently hold up against the league's top offenses. Los Angeles has competition at the position, but entering the season, it remains difficult to know exactly what they will get from the group.
If they can get reliable play from young guys like undrafted free agent Rodney Shelley, the rotation could give O’Leary valuable flexibility throughout the season. But if the group struggles to establish consistency, the position could quickly become one of the team's biggest weaknesses.
For now, Jackson and the rest of the room are confident that they have what it takes to get the job done.
