OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- It's sort of poetic that the Baltimore Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson on the same date they selected Joe Flacco 10 years ago.

This can be seen as the passing of the franchise quarterback torch. Or, if you want to be more accurate, it's the reigniting of that torch.

Jackson delivers a jolt of excitement to a franchise that has been the definition of mediocrity and bad offense since winning the Super Bowl six seasons ago. He is the electrifying talent that has been desperately yearned for after every Flacco checkdown and frustrating three-and-out.

Lamar Jackson produced 119 touchdowns for Louisville (a school record), running for 50 and throwing for 69. AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhard

A thrilling dual threat, Jackson has the speed to break a 70-yard run on one drive and the arm strength to launch a 70-yard pass on the next.

After the Ravens deftly traded back into the end of the first round to take Jackson at No. 32, the former Heisman Trophy winner talked to the NFL Network and was asked what Baltimore was getting.

"They're going to get a Super Bowl out of me," Jackson said. "Believe that."

Flacco carried the Ravens to a Super Bowl in 2012, but the confidence that he can do it again has waned as injuries and inconsistency have increased. When Jackson says the words, there is a new hope.

Ravens officials cautioned anyone from jumping to conclusions about when Jackson will unseat Flacco as the starter. But teams don't trade a couple of second-round picks to move into the first round to take a career backup. It's realistic to project Jackson as the starter in 2019, when Baltimore can create $18.5 million by cutting Flacco.

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No one really knows if Jackson is going to take off like Deshaun Watson did or ultimately fail like Vince Young. What is certain is his presence invigorates a franchise that has gone 40-40 since last hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy and a plodding offense that ranks third-to-last in yards per play (5.06) over the past five seasons.

This franchise is at its most critical point since relocating from Cleveland in 1996. The Ravens are no longer considered a perennial Super Bowl contender after missing the playoffs for three straight years. Even when Baltimore was in control of its playoff fate last season, there were thousands of no-shows, the most ever for games that mattered at M&T Bank Stadium.

An NFL team can deal with a fan base that is angry. That means people are still emotionally invested. Apathy, on the other hand, gets a franchise extremely worried -- and that's where the Ravens have been headed.

Ravens president Dick Cass recently said the team has to do a better job of connecting with fans and acknowledged the renewal of season tickets have been "a little bit slower" than they were last year at this point. Cass believes winning will bring back fans. Another way is to select the most dynamic playmaker in the draft.

"We do some analytics, and when the ball is in his hands, there hadn't been a better playmaker, really, in the last few years coming out [of the draft]," coach John Harbaugh said.

Jackson has the potential to fix a lot of issues with an offense that has lacked explosiveness.

Problem: The Ravens ranked last in the NFL last season with 37 plays of 20 yards or more. Solution: Over the past two seasons, Jackson produced 117 pass plays of 20 yards or more, ranking seventh in FBS. His 126 runs of 10 yards or more over that span led all FBS players.

Problem: Baltimore has scored the eighth-fewest offensive touchdowns (163) over the past five seasons. Jackson is a touchdown machine. He produced 119 TDs (a Louisville record), running for 50 and throwing for 69.

As much as this is a football decision, this is a financial one as well. The Ravens gave Flacco $44 million guaranteed when they signed him to an extension before the 2016 season. Baltimore is projected to pay Jackson $9.5 million in guarantees in his rookie deal.

It's an investment that can set up the Ravens for a new era of promise.

"I think you get to this stage in a quarterback's career -- you've seen it done in New England, we've seen it done in a lot of places -- it's time to start thinking about drafting a quarterback," Harbaugh said. "When the opportunity came to get a really good one, I think you have to jump on it and take it."