NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- There are no more weeks to get ready. It's showtime for rookie cornerback Adoree' Jackson, and he's set to get even more action than expected this week.
The Tennessee Titans ruled starting cornerback LeShaun Sims out for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders. Sims missed practice all week with a groin injury.
That opens the door up for Jackson and veteran Brice McCain to see a big increase in reps in place of Sims. Cornerback was a position of uncertainty for Tennessee this summer and that becomes magnified with Sims out.
Titans coach Mike Mularkey believes his depth at cornerback will hold up against the Raiders' high-powered offense, and he doesn't anticipate moving guys from different positions to help out. Logan Ryan will start at one cornerback spot. Jackson and McCain are next in line with Kalan Reed and Tye Smith as the other cornerbacks on the roster.
"Adoree' will play a good bit," Mularkey said.
The spotlight will be on Jackson, who has the rare athleticism and talent to eventually be a No. 1 cornerback, but he's still grasping some of the nuances of the NFL game.
Jackson's first NFL start, in the Titans' Week 3 preseason loss to the Chicago Bears, didn't go as he expected. He was picked on by Mike Glennon for most of the first quarter as the quarterback completed several passes on Jackson.
It was a learning experience for Jackson that he and the coaches believe will help him in the long run. He's planning to take some of the lessons from that game into the regular season opener on Sunday.
"Trust what you see, trust your technique. If you do that, you shouldn’t get beat. If you do, next-play mentality," Jackson said. "Go out there, be loose and have fun. Let the game come to me."
Mularkey noted left tackle Taylor Lewan, who sprained an ankle earlier this week, should be good to go after fully participating in practice Friday.
