Former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson was the most polarizing quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft class. Some had him ranked as the best quarterback in the class, while others believed he should switch positions.

The 2016 Heisman winner and 2017 finalist had an exciting college career. Jackson’s college career was seemingly one explosive play after another. His ability as a passer is often underrated as many think of him as a running-first quarterback, but that is far from the case. He does make a ton of plays with his legs, but his football IQ and arm strength are both impressive as well. Throughout his entire college career, Jackson would scan the field and progress through his reads at a ‘pro level.’ He is not a one-read and checkdown quarterback.

Jackson also improved as a passer each year at Louisville. Although his accuracy is an issue, merely reading his completion percentage does not tell the whole story. He dealt with drops from his receivers and inadequate protection from his offensive line.

Jackson was not the most pro-ready prospect entering the 2018 NFL Draft, but he could have the highest ceiling. With proper coaching, Jackson can improve his mechanics, footwork, and accuracy issues. There were several ‘inaccurate quarterbacks’ coming out of college that have had successful NFL careers, such as Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford.

The Ravens selected Lamar Jackson with the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They had to trade back into the first-round to obtain him. Some fans felt he was drafted too high, while others were thrilled that Baltimore paid a relatively low price to secure the potential successor to Joe Flacco.

Nevertheless, what exactly does Lamar Jackson bring to the Ravens’ offense?

Athleticism

It is like a video game for Jackson. Once he turns upfield, it takes multiple defenders to bring him down. When he decides to run, the entire defense must react. Otherwise, it will be a significant gain. Jackson commands attention from every single defender on the field, which is what makes him such a deadly weapon. On this play, he kept it and almost effortlessly picked up the first down after a quick cut upfield.

The pressure came up the middle from a delayed blitz, and Jackson rolled to his right to find an open receiver to pick up the first-down. It was an incredible display of patience and awareness of the situation. One of the myths about Jackson is that he is a run-first quarterback, but that is far from the case, especially in his last season at Louisville.

The Ravens, even with Joe Flacco, ran a couple of QB runs in the red zone last season. It will not be as surprising with Jackson, but his ability to shake defenders and navigate through tight windows is evident in the red zone. On this play, he cuts back and forth to make several defenders miss en route to the touchdown. Jackson elevates the play of those around him in many different ways, but given the fact that defenses, especially linebackers, must account for him, it opens up the field for his receivers.

Jackson had nowhere to throw the ball and is nearly sacked, but broke one tackle and was gone. Creativity and improvisation are two of Jackson’s strengths, which is an area that Baltimore’s offense certainly lacked in last year.

On a bootleg, Jackson rolled to his right and found a wide-open target with space in front of him. He threw the ball perfectly as it led his target to continue his momentum and keep running. This was an area Flacco struggled in at times in 2017.

The pass was not the most accurate, but the takeaway here is his eyes: they are still looking downfield. Jackson, despite heavy pressure, never stopped scanning the field, and it resulted in Louisville picking up the first down. He uses his athleticism and speed to aid him in the passing game, which is a gift that not many players have.

This play showcased how ‘slippery’ and agile Jackson is as a runner. On a designed quarterback run, Jackson weaved in and out to get to open space. What is also incredible about Jackson’s running ability is his patience and awareness. He correctly identified the running lanes and ran dodged in and out of traffic.

Mississippi State eventually registered the sack on Jackson, but it was still a remarkable effort by him. This play is blown up from the beginning as the offensive line collapsed, but instead of a 12-yard loss, Jackson turned it into a two-yard loss. He made four defenders miss. Jackson is an extremely competitive player with a high motor.

One of Jackson’s weaknesses is that he tries to do too much on a single play. Many have talked about how he must learn how to ‘give up’ on a play or go out of bounds and go to the next play. In college, he showcased that ability at times. On this play, he picked up enough yards to set up a more manageable third-down. He could have turned to the inside and tried to gain more, but he made the right decision to go out of bounds.

On fourth-down, Jackson kept it and made two defenders miss before he ran out of bounds. His awareness of the situation was evident as he raced to the outside, quickly cut upfield to pick up the first-down and kept the drive alive.

On another designed run, Jackson had one man to beat to the outside, which he did, and he was off to the races. He is deadly in space. Despite having a ‘slender’ frame, Jackson is hard to bring down because of his marvelous balance.

What makes his scrambling ability impressive is that he seems always to be looking down the field. Jackson made a Clemson defender miss, reset his feet and found an open receiver in the end zone for a touchdown. His footwork is not always pretty, but on this play it was outstanding. How many quarterbacks in the NFL could make a play like this?

On another designed run, Clemson knew exactly what was coming. They completely blew up any holes up the middle, which forced Jackson to keep it, but the edge was seemingly set. However, Jackson made a quick jump cut to the inside as he made three defenders miss. He nearly scored on a play that Clemson was well-prepared to stop.

With nowhere to throw the football, Jackson put his head down and picked up a significant chunk of yards. Explosive plays like this were not a rare thing for Jackson in college, and if this can translate to the NFL, he could be a dominant quarterback for many years to come. However, he must establish himself as a pocket passer as well. Otherwise, he may not have prolonged success in the NFL.

This play may not necessarily showcase his athleticism, but he does showcase his patience in the pocket. By watching his eyes, it is evident that his first target was not open, instead of taking off, which he had a lane, Jackson continued to survey the field and find an open receiver. Jackson showcased the ability to be a pocket passer when he wants to be.

Jackson’s patience in the pocket is another strength as he surveys the entire field from left to right on this play. He eventually found a wide-open receiver on the outside, and the throw was perfect.

Jackson’s ability to improvise is sensational. As seen in all of these clips, he is continually looking down the field, while using his speed to escape rushers. On this play, he rolled to his left and found an open target while being tackled.

A knack for the end zone

The pocket collapsed, but Jackson was patient enough to let his receiver break toward the sidelines. He delivered an accurate strike, and the result was a touchdown. In the red zone, Jackson is seemingly most comfortable. This should be good news for the Ravens as they were inconsistent in the red zone last season.

Jackson is a magician in the red zone. Even when the defense covered the play well, he is still able to score a touchdown. His short-area quickness combined with his deadly juke moves make him hard to tackle.

Clemson broke down in coverage as they left a receiver uncovered in the end zone. Jackson delivered a strike as he quickly identified the busted coverage. His footwork was not great, but the throw was still accurate. It worked this time, but Jackson must improve his footwork, which is an area quarterbacks coach James Urban has already stated he has been working on with him.

On an option play, Jackson shed one tackler, kept his balance and stayed in bounds to score the touchdown. His balance and sideline awareness as a runner is tremendous. Not to mention his athleticism opens up the playbook for any offensive coordinator in the red zone.

Clemson was well-prepared for Jackson’s running ability, which allowed the receiver to be in single-coverage. Jackson bought time and on a ‘scramble drill’, the receiver broke toward the end zone. Jackson delivered a floater to give his receiver a chance to make a play.

Clemson’s defensive line broke through almost instantly, but Jackson rolled to his right and gave his receiver a chance. The receiver high-pointed the football, and the result was a touchdown.

Deep-ball passing

This was a busted coverage by Kent State, and Jackson noticed it right away. Against a single-high safety defense, he immediately saw that his intended target had no safety help. Jackson delivered a beautiful pass that led to a significant gain.

Jackson slightly underthrew this ball, which forced the receiver to wait for the ball short of the end zone. This would have been an easy touchdown if Jackson hit his receiver in stride. Nevertheless, they completed the pass for a nice gain to keep the drive alive on third-down.

Jackson stood tall in the pocket, kept his feet moving and delivered a strike in between the linebackers. His footwork was outstanding as he planted and drove the ball forward. He placed the ball perfectly for the receiver to run through it and pick up extra yards.

Jackson’s speed is what many will talk about, but he showcased the ability to be a deadly pocket passer as well. Jackson went through his progression and found a wide open receiver deep down the field. His throw was perfect as it hit the receiver right in stride for him to continue running down the field.

Jackson underthrew this ball, which allowed the cornerback to break up the pass. The receiver was well-covered, but the decision was not nearly as concerning as the ball placement. This could have been an interception.

Turnovers

Jackson completely overthrows his intended target, and Mississippi State comes away with the easy interception. His mechanics are indeed an issue as most of those throws are fixable. His delivery could be among the many things James Urban plans to address.

This was another inaccurate pass by Jackson. He threw the ball behind his target, and again it appears to be a mechanics issue. His arm strength is not an issue, but the way he delivers and releases the ball should be under question.

Jackson’s biggest weakness is his accuracy. On this throw, he found an open receiver, but it was a terrible pass. Jackson’s inaccurate pass led to an easy interception for Mississippi State. His footwork on this play wasn’t awful, but it was a high pass, which Jackson tends to do at times.

Not only did Jackson telegraph this pass, but it was a terrible throw. This was his fourth interception of this game, and this was at a crucial point in the game. Jackson did have an issue with turnovers in college.

Jackson did not see the Clemson defender in front of his receiver as this was an easy interception for him. This was a rare poor decision by Jackson. He usually makes the correct reads, but on this play, it was a terrible choice. The disguised zone coverage fooled Jackson.

This was yet another pass that sailed on Jackson. His receiver was open, but the pass was thrown behind and high of the intended target. Entering the NFL, this is without a doubt his biggest concern.

Some of Jackson’s turnovers and incompletions were not entirely his fault. Jackson’s pass was high and behind his receiver, yet it still should have been a completion. His surrounding cast was not perfect as they often dropped catchable passes.

Jackson tends to try to do too much on a single play. This is the perfect example of that; instead of taking the sack and setting up for an easy field goal, Jackson attempted to throw the ball while being tackled. He was fortunate it did not result in an interception, but plays like this can not happen in the NFL.

Inaccuracy

The three clips above showcase one reason why completion percentage isn’t everything, regarding accuracy. Jackson dealt with a boom-or-bust receiving corps. There were times where Jackson would deliver perfect strikes, but they fell incomplete due to drops. He does have issues with accuracy, but it is not as bad as some have speculated.

Jackson failed to plant his back foot, which resulted in him throwing a high pass that was nearly intercepted. His mechanics are far from pro-ready, and this was why many analysts believed he was not worthy of a first-round selection.

Jackson’s accuracy is also a frustrating aspect of his game as at times he makes remarkable throws. He was in a terrible position to throw this ball, yet somehow he delivered an accurate pass.

Jackson’s pass sails out of bounds, but the receiver tracked the ball terrible, which made the throw look worse than it was. His pass was inaccurate and likely uncatchable, but the receiver did not do him any favors.

Jackson slightly overthrew his intended target, despite the receiver having leverage on his defender. He can make plays with his arm, but at times he struggles to make accurate throws.

With ample time and space, Jackson’s mechanics are horrendous, which led to a wildly inaccurate throw. His back foot was the main issue, and it led to an incompletion. His inconsistent mechanics continue to jump out on film.

Jackson’s pass was catchable, but the receiver was unable to hang onto it. In a tight window, he delivered a ‘dart.’ Louisville is lucky that Jackson’s pass was not intercepted, but often Jackson’s surrounding cast failed to help him.

‘Darts’

This was an impressive throw considering how deep he was in the end zone. His accuracy is often criticized, and that is fair, but at times he makes it look easy.

This is another excellent throw by Jackson. His mechanics appeared to have changed throughout his time at college, but at times it looks as though he reverted to his old ways.

Despite his inaccuracies, Jackson is a unique talent. How many quarterbacks in the league, right now, could pull this off? First, he completely shook the defender, and then he reset his feet to deliver one of the best passes of his entire collegiate career.

This throw showcases his arm strength, while his accuracy is under question. Jackson’s arm is NFL caliber, but he has to address his mechanics to hit receivers down the field accurately.

Final Take:

Lamar Jackson is an incredibly gifted athlete with a strong arm. His speed, improvisational skills, and creativity are off the charts. He is a playmaker, who excels in the red zone. Jackson brings all of those skills to a Ravens’ offense that lacks most of those things. He has a lot to prove during training camp and the preseason, but he has a high ceiling. It is highly unlikely that Jackson will be the starting quarterback from day one, but if he can fix his mechanics and improve upon his decision-making, Jackson could become one of the most feared quarterbacks in the league. It would be ideal for him to sit his entire rookie year, but if Baltimore’s season starts out poorly, he may be forced into action.

Video Credit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsrHxGED3us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRzN3-ubdfg&t=108s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsfTUdHsN74

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsp6E-M9vPQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kDNxXNDLSg