Philadelphia Eagles fans were hoping that Jakorian Bennett would overtake Adoree’ Jackson for the CB2 job after a rough showing in Week 1. However, the young cornerback did not do himself any favors after what he put on film against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the second quarter, the 25-year-old Bennett had a chance to bring down Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he scrambled out of the pocket. Instead, Bennett took a poor angle and didn’t show any urgency as Mahomes scored a touchdown.
It wasn’t a good look for the young cornerback, who only played five defensive snaps after he got seven in Week 1, and won't earn him any trust from a staff that clearly needs to see more positives before upping his workload.
Jakorian Bennett Must Play Better Going Forward to Compete for CB2 Job
If the ex-Raiders cornerback showed some urgency and made a better attempt to disengage from Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown, Bennett could’ve stopped Mahomes from possibly getting into the end zone.
It is the little things that matter, especially in a tightly contested game where one or two plays can make a difference. In fact, Mahomes completed 2-of-3 passes for 21 yards when Bennett was on the field, per Anthony DiBona.
While Bennett didn’t make the most of his opportunities, Jackson did, as Devin Jackson of the Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out on Twitter/X. The Chiefs tried to attack the veteran CB on double moves, but he stood his ground and even had a pass breakup.
It was great to see Jackson make a play on the ball after he got picked on by Dak Prescott in Week 1, making many have James Bradberry flashbacks. Though he allowed six completions on eight targets for 106 yards (with a 116.7 pass rating) in the opener versus Dallas, the veteran defensive back gave up only three completions for 26 yards and had a 61.8 pass rating allowed when targeted against Mahomes.
Jackson appears to have a growing edge on the CB2 reps going into Week 3, which isn’t good news for Bennett. At the same time, if Jackson takes a step back against the Los Angeles Rams’ star WR duo of Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, Bennett could be right back in the conversation.
However, if Bennett gets an opportunity to play on Sunday, he needs to do something to catch the attention of the coaching staff for good reasons. Otherwise he'll simply remain in Jackson's shadow and fail to earn himself looks while Philly focuses on developing the former New York Giant into a legitimate staring corner.