Redskins free agency head-to-head: Byron Jones vs. James Bradberry

James Bradberry

Team: Carolina Panthers

Age: Will be 27 in August

Draft Pedigree: Drafted in Round 2, 62nd overall in 2016

Production: 60 games, 279 tackles, eight interceptions, 47 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, 3.0 sacks

Athletic Profile: 6-foot-1, 212, 78.6-inch wingspan, 4.50 40-yard dash, 36-inch vertical, 4.21 short shuttle, 6.91 three-cone, 11-foot broad jump

James Bradberry Scouting Report

James Bradberry certainly has the playmaker gene; that’s one question that the Samford product has consistently answered throughout his career thus far. In nineteen less games than Byron Jones, Bradberry has six more interceptions and four more pass deflections. He’s generated turnovers at a far higher clip than Jones, and he’s also proven his utility as a blitzing threat.

In Bradberry’s inflated production, however, there also exists reason for pause. Bradberry has been targeted 210 times over the past two seasons, on pace for almost seven targets per game over that stretch. Jones, meanwhile, has been targeted less than five times per game over an identical time frame.

Credit must be given where it’s due: Bradberry is a bit more boom-or-bust than Jones, but he doesn’t shrink when the ball comes his way. His aggressive play style, combined with his solid length, allows him to make plays on the ball at the catch point, and while he’s not the generational athlete that Jones is, he has the speed to stick to receivers’ hip pockets, and the explosive closing burst to disrupt passes within his range.

That said, Bradberry can give up space by going for the big play on defense, and it’s one reason his production resume is so polarizing, in comparison with other top-tier free agents. He also misses tackles more than the average cornerback, which Pro Football Focus penalized him heavily for in 2019. He plays fast and aggressive, but can work on being more measured in certain situations.

Bradberry isn’t a perfect player, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and for the Redskins, he might be the better fit. He flourished with Redskins coach Ron Rivera in Carolina, and he’d be very familiar with the scheme in Washington. Bradberry is also one year younger than Jones, and thus, he’d potentially be a safer long-term investment for a Redskins team looking to capitalize on a cornerback’s prime years to the best of their ability. In Bradberry’s athleticism, length, and aggressiveness, there is untapped potential, which he could fulfill behind Washington’s defensive front.