Adoree’ Jackson brings experience to a young Eagles secondary: ‘The only thing I’m trying to prove now is to myself’

Adoree’ Jackson doesn’t turn 30 until September, but he’s officially the old head in the defensive backs room with the Eagles.

His first NFL game was in 2017, after the Tennessee Titans drafted him with the 18th pick, and he remembers the trial-by-fire nature of starting his NFL career in a game against an Oakland Raiders team with Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper at receiver.

Jackson, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles last week, will bring plenty of experience to a secondary that got a lot younger after Darius Slay (34) left in free agency and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (27) was traded. How that experience ends up being used remains to be seen. Jackson’s play has declined, but a change of scenery after four seasons with the New York Giants to Vic Fangio’s defense — the top unit in the NFL last season — could prove fruitful for Jackson. There will be an opportunity to play, and Jackson’s main competition for a starting cornerback spot will be Kelee Ringo, who is entering his third NFL season and will still be just 23 when training camp begins.

“The motto is still the same,” Jackson said Wednesday. “Come in and work, put your head down, grind, and let the Lord do what he do.”

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Jackson said he isn’t looking at his one-year deal with the Eagles as a “prove-it” contract. But he did say he’s trying to show himself that he has more left in the tank and can still play at a high level.

“I feel great, my body is great, still can move fast, my mental is great,” Jackson said. “The only thing I’m trying to prove now is to myself. This is what I wanted to do as a kid. This is what I love to do. This is just what I do.”

Jackson, who has played on the boundary and in the slot, started for the Giants in his first three seasons (2021 to 2023) but was relegated to a reserve role until his number was called for five starts last season. He was pretty productive during those three seasons. Jackson was second among Giants defensive backs with 23 pass breakups, ranking only behind safety Xavier McKinney. Jackson believes that player from a few seasons ago is still in there, and the Eagles at least think there’s a shot.

Jackson used the phrase “compete and have fun” three times in a row Wednesday as he closed his first media availability with Eagles reporters on Zoom.

There are familiar faces in the locker room, and Jackson said former Giants teammate Saquon Barkley told him, “[they’re] just like you; they just love to compete. We compete at everything.”

Jackson said he’s ready for that, whether it’s rock-paper-scissors, cards, or even swimming. “As long as we’re competing and trying to get to it,” he said.

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Jackson, who starred at Southern California in college, said he watched Eagles rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean on tape and was impressed.

“I’m not going to lie, I really liked Mitchell,” he said. “I remember saying it, I don’t know which game we were watching on tape, I was like, [wow], I haven’t seen a rookie play that well. It’s been a while. And then Cooper doing his thing.”

Now he’ll have a chance to pass on some of the things he has learned in the league, and maybe even learn a thing or two from them.

“Being one of the oldest in the room is cool,” Jackson said. “I came in one of the youngest. It’s just the circle of life. It’s a part of the game. The Lord has blessed me to have some longevity to be able to reach this age and now to be able to give back and help. And in the same way the young guys can help me out because they’re doing stuff that I probably never trained to do because it’s just different times.”

Jackson has a fond memory of Lincoln Financial Field. His first career interception return for a touchdown came on Christmas Day in 2023. It was late in the third quarter and Jackson’s 76-yard return cut the Giants’ deficit to one possession. But the good moments are often marked with misery for the Giants in many recent matchups between the longtime NFC East rivals.

Asked about that day and the interception, Jackson also brought up the next Eagles drive. He was on the sideline getting some oxygen while the Giants forced the Eagles into a third-and-20 from their own 26-yard line. Jalen Hurts, Jackson remembered, connected with A.J. Brown on a deep comeback route to convert a first down, and the Eagles went on to score four plays later to bump the lead back up to two scores.

Jackson will still have to contend with Brown and DeVonta Smith, though only in practice. No better duo for the Eagles to evaluate whether Jackson still has it.