Baltimore Ravens - Fantasy News

Lamar Jackson - Selected by Ravens 32nd overall

4/26/18

NFL

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson

Jackson (6-foot-2, 216 pounds) was an unprecedented force at Louisville, finishing his 38-game career with 119 touchdowns, killing defenses deep with the pass and making limbs buckle left and right as a runner, often appearing more an apparition than a football player. Some older-guard NFL interests envisioned him as a receiver due to his athleticism, however, and Jackson made no effort to veil his contempt for those interests, which no doubt alienated him with some front offices. The same is true of his refusal to run the 40-yard dash before the draft. Rest assured -- Jackson is very fast, an absolute blur. That he didn't run the 40 was an act of defiance that doesn't generally sit well with coaching types, but this must be noted so that Jackson's fall isn't mistaken for one that occurred due to merit. Deshaun Watson took the NFL by storm as a rookie, and the ways Watson beats defenses are largely the same ways Jackson does. There are some metrics that would in fact imply that Jackson is the superior prospect generally. Watson was more developed as a short and intermediate passer coming into the league, but Jackson has a stronger arm and maybe an even better deep ball. He also poses a much greater danger as a runner -- jackson finished his Louisville career with 4,132 yards (6.3 YPC) and 50 touchdowns. Just recently turned 21, Jackson might sit behind Joe Flacco for some time, but expect a quarterback controversy to brew in a hurry if Flacco struggles. Jackson in any case possesses major long-term fantasy upside from his running skills alone.