Think this is what my JW coworker was talking about.
Source
When Adam sinned, he lost his human perfection and was sentenced to death. For all dying mankind to be ransomed, it required someone who corresponded with Adam in his human perfection. It required another perfect man to undertake to suffer death innocently in order to lift the sentence of death that Adam had brought upon all his offspring. What was needed, then, was a corresponding ransom.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all — this is what is to be witnessed to in its own due time. — 1 Tim. 2:5, 6
The Greek word for ransom is lyʹtron, which comes from a verb meaning “to loose.” It was used to describe money paid in exchange for the releasing of prisoners of war. In the Hebrew Scriptures, however, the word for ransom, koʹpher, comes from a verb meaning to “cover” or “overlay.” The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament notes that koʹpher “always denotes an equivalent,” or correspondency. In atoning for sin, or ransoming, divine justice demanded ‘soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.’ (Deuteronomy 19:21)
It is fitting, then, that in order for Jesus to buy back what Adam lost, he had to provide the equivalent or what was corresponding in exchange. That meant Jesus’ perfect life corresponded to Adam’s perfect life...