Lamar Jackson has received plenty of love in the past in NFL circles for his work with the Baltimore Ravens, but the bloom might be coming off the rose a bit in terms of the love fest with the national media.
Jackson has once again been rated against his NFL peers this offseason, and perhaps a bit surprisingly, he hasn’t picked up the greatest ranking, at least in the case of Pro Football Focus.
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Recently, writer Eric Eager of the site ranked his top quarterbacks in the league, and Jackson was in the top 10, but only barely. Jackson placed 10th on the list and was behind veteran names such as Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan and even Baker Mayfield.
The top-10 QBs in the NFL, per @PFF_Eric
What does your top 10 look like?
As expected, the internet erupted after this rating hit, with Jackson’s last name trending on Twitter Tuesday night. The reason? Folks were roundly disappointed by the rating and taking to the internet to both laugh at it as well as rip it in their own way.
Some fans couldn’t believe their eyes when the ranking was revealed and admitted how perplexed they were to see the rating.
When Lamar Jackson wins a Super Bowl, the receipts that are going to be pulled out from Ravens fans all over the world will be legendary
When Jackson does win, the internet is going to be downright insufferable and for good reason after being forced to read lists like this through the years.
Like others said it was very surprising to see Jackson so far down the list and behind other players that might be deemed less talented in the end. The only thing Jackson can do is file this away and use it as motivation for a much better 2021 season on the field.
Jackson Rated top Quarterback Under 25
While many might not be high on Jackson, others certainly are across the league. Recently, Jackson was revealed to be included on Nick Shook’s list at NFL.com of the top players in the league who are under 25. Jackson was the quarterback on the list who made the cut thanks to not only his age, but his ability to make the big plays on the field.
He wrote:
“It became clear during this exercise that a good portion of the NFL’s top young talent is made up of 25-year-olds. So, we don’t have Patrick Mahomes, who turned 25 in September, available to us. Of those who did qualify, Jackson was the clear choice. He’s the only player in NFL history to post 7,000-plus passing yards and 2,500-plus rushing yards in his first three seasons. It’s tough to argue with the candidacy of this former MVP.”
Obviously, with the hardware, Mahomes might be the choice right now head-to-head, but he doesn’t fit the age requirements. Jackson does, which combined with his talents, makes him the right choice for this list and to be thought of as the quarterback of the future.
Why Jackson’s Rating From PFF Was Unfair
Obviously, it’s hard to quantify just how much Jackson means to his team and has meant to his team through the years, and he is a top rusher and passer in the league. Some of the players rated ahead of him on Eager’s list are nowhere near as explosive as Jackson is nor capable of the big plays he is. That alone makes the rankings somewhat comical in this particular case.
None of that matters if Jackson comes out and dominates, though. With this as motivation, that could be what he is expected to do in the end ahead of a new season. Like everything else, Jackson could use this ranking as fuel for a big season on the field.
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Internet Explodes on PFF Over Lamar Jackson’s Comical QB Ranking