Getty Lamar Jackson during a Ravens vs. Cowboys game in 2020.
The Baltimore Ravens have plenty of reasons to be excited about the future, not the least of which is the fact that they have one of the game’s best young quarterbacks on their side.
Lamar Jackson frequently draws plenty of aplomb for his work on the field, but interestingly, it was only recently that Jackson took a very important step toward perhaps cementing his own bright future in the league.
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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.
Ranking Proves Jackson Still on Upswing
The Ravens have to feel happy to have Jackson in the fold given he is under 25 years old. That fact means he still has plenty of time to do big things at the NFL level. Though Jackson has only one win in the playoffs to his credit and has not yet appeared in the AFC title game or the Super Bowl, he has the talent to be able to end that drought in the coming years if his supporting cast backs him up on offense and the team’s defense remains elite.
Jackson has already been a league MVP, so it’s clear that the quarterback has the talent to win. As this ranking shows, though it feels as if he’s been around forever, his career still has a chance to take on a different tone moving forward thanks to his obvious talent.
Jackson’s Career Stats
This past season, Jackson had more struggles than successes at times statistically, but even in spite of that, he managed to have a solid season this year. Jackson himself had only 2,757 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 1,005 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Those numbers might be lower than what thy were in his NFL MVP season, but it’s long been clear that the stats are only half of what Jackson brings to the table. He is still the unquestioned heart and soul of the entire team, which is why the Ravens have to lock him up on a new deal and build around him better.
Since being drafted out of Louisville, Jackson has begun to rewrite the book in the league in terms of what a quarterback is and can be with his ability to run and extend the play.. The fact that he was a shoo-in as an All-Pro is a testament to how good Jackson was in 2019. The fact he won MVP last season was also simply a testament to that as well. There’s no question he can still challenge for those awards moving forward.
Jackson still has some things he needs to accomplish, but as this ranking shows, he’s got plenty of time to get the job done for the future.
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