NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Titans rookie corner Adoree’ Jackson flashed against the Panthers Thursday, but coach Mike Mularkey said LeShaun Sims is holding on to the second starting sport right now.
In a strong beginning for The Tennessee corners it took four passes for Cam Newton to complete a ball and it was Jackson who broke up the second one, aimed for Devin Funchess. (That was after a Sims breakup on Russell Shepard.)
Later in a team period Jackson intercepted a pass targeted for Damiere Byrd, but officials flagged Jackson for defensive holding. The picture here is of him ultimately breaking up a scramble pass to the back right corner on a red-zone snap.
“(He) had a nice interception today in the second down and third-and-long period,” coach Mike Mularkey said. “That was good to see. Hopefully it was a little bit of a confidence booster for him. He's had a good camp.”
“…It would be nice if he could (start in the preseason). I just want to make sure, I don’t want to disrupt anything. It’s a discussion we’ll have in the morning.”
Jackson’s role for opening day remains vague.
He’s a virtual certainty to be the punt returner. Where and how much he will play at corner remains to be seen.
He often works in the top three, but the Titans really have four they like at the top of their group. Logan Ryan and Sims are the starters and Brice McCain is the incumbent nickelback.
The Titans do not have a predetermined setting for where people line up in the nickel package, particularly when Jackson is on the field and McCain is not.
Mularkey said there is still time for all that to sort itself out.
Should the 18th pick in the draft, who’s got very good ball skills and closing speed, be an opening day starter?
“It just goes off of my play,” Jackson said. “If I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and its all about making sure I’m doing the right things. So obviously, I’m in control but at the same time we got a lot of other athletes out here, so we are all competing. So whoever the coach feels like is best for the job, I know they will do their job correctly because I practice with them, I go against them all the time and we are getting each other better.
“So you can’t be mad about that.”