Though the Baltimore Ravens pretty much had to re-sign Joe Flacco following Super Bowl XLVII, the move hasn’t worked out for them. Now that they’re entering the last year of Flacco’s deal with any guaranteed money, the Ravens decided to trade up and take Louisville’s Lamar Jackson with the 32nd overall pick.
Welcome to Baltimore, Lamar! pic.twitter.com/4Leex1IrOf
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 27, 2018
Jackson won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 and was one of college football’s most dynamic players in his stint with the Cardinals. He’s drawing favorable comparisons to both Michael Vick and Deshaun Watson, who were both top-tier fantasy quarterbacks when healthy. But there are some question marks that could make us wait until 2019 to see what Jackson has to offer.
Reasons to Get Excited
Rushing
Running ability is a huge boon to any quarterback’s fantasy stock. Cam Newton was the second-best quarterback in fantasy in 2018 even though he ranked 18th in passing yards (3,302) and 28th in completion percentage (59.1).
In Jackson’s two seasons as Louisville’s full-time starter, he totaled 3,014 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns. With numbers like those, he may already be one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league. Even a fraction of those numbers in the NFL would make him a weekly fantasy start.
Minicamp
Jackson is already making an impression, as he was given all first, second and third-team reps in a minicamp practice on June 12.
Lamar Jackson is the talk of #Ravens camp, and on Thursday they let him run the entire minicamp practice with the 1s 2s & 3s. That didn't happen for any of the 4 QBs drafted ahead of him. Exciting read here via @JasonLaCanfora https://t.co/vEHTeW8qmn
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) June 14, 2018
The accompanying Jason LaCanfora piece details the extent to which the Ravens are singing Jackson’s praises. It does bear a resemblance to the 2012 Seahawks when Russell Wilson won the starting job despite everyone assuming it would go to Matt Flynn. We’ve obviously got a ways to go before history repeats itself, but the excitement in Baltimore is worth noting.
Explosive Plays
In Jackson’s final year at Louisville, he had at least one 30-yard run in all but two games. He scored at least two touchdowns in every game. Like Deshaun Watson in 2017, Jackson could take over real games and fantasy matchups with big plays. Just one long touchdown run in the fourth quarter could erase an otherwise poor game and make him a viable fantasy starter.
Reasons to Pump the Brakes
Joe Flacco
Say what you will about Flacco’s performance (he’s second in the NFL in interceptions since 2013), but he has been Baltimore’s starter for the last 10 years. He only missed six games, all in 2015 after tearing an ACL. It’s fair to assume that, at least for this season, the Ravens are going to give him every opportunity to keep his job. It will be a different story next offseason, but for now, Flacco is the favorite to start all 16 games.
Accuracy
Jackson was the fifth quarterback chosen because there are some questions about his passing ability. Scouts, Inc. (paywall) described his accuracy as “below average” and questioned his progression reads. He’s more athlete than traditional quarterback at the moment, meaning it may take longer for him to become a capable starter.
Durability
Like all rushing quarterbacks, Jackson will have increased injury concerns. His new teammate, Robert Griffin III, knows this all too well. Even if Jackson starts early and plays well, those using him would be wise to carry a backup plan on their roster.
Conclusion
Jackson’s rushing ability gives him a huge advantage over the other first-round rookie quarterbacks. Only Baker Mayfield can move the ball on the ground in a manner somewhat similar to Jackson. But much like the other rookie quarterbacks, his path to playing time is unclear. Sure, the Ravens will probably involve him in the offense in some way even if Flacco is the starter, but there’s no way we could count on that on a regular basis. He’ll be worth a speculative add if he’s close to starting, but until then he’s safe to avoid.
