Devy Profile: Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville

Lamar Jackson is the Devy quarterback with the highest upside. Here, I examine his huge potential.

Recruiting

Lamar Jackson was a three-star recruit out of high school according to ESPN.com, with just a 79 grade. The 2016 Heisman winner was the 17th-ranked quarterback and failed to make the ESPN’s top 300. Though Jackson ultimately chose to attend the University of Louisville, he didn’t lack for offers from big time schools: Auburn, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia, and Nebraska all offered him a scholarship.

Athletic Profile

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At 6’3”, Jackson has the height you look for in a quarterback, but his 205 lbs frame will likely need weight added to it to survive a 16 game NFL season. He did manage to put on seven pounds prior to the 2016 season, and we will see if he continues to add weight and keep his speed. In Louisville’s spring athletic testing day, Jackson blazed the second fastest time of any player on the team, running a 4.34 second 40-yard dash. If this was an official combine time, Jackson would be the fastest quarterback to run at the combine ever.

Injury History and Off-field

Jackson has no concerns here.

Career

If you’re a box score scout, Lamar Jackson is the player for you. On his way to winning the Heisman in his sophomore season, Jackson threw for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns, with nine interceptions and a pedestrian completion percentage of 56.2%. Where Jackson made his mark on the game was running the football. With 260 rushes and 1,571 yards, Jackson rushed for a total of 21 touchdowns — giving him a ridiculous 51 touchdowns in 13 games in 2016.

What the Film says

Jackson’s ability to run is special and hasn’t been seen at this level since Michael Vick. Vick is a popular name to compare any and all running quarterbacks to when they are coming out of college, but for the first time a quarterback deserves that comparison.

Jackson is a complete runner, so much so that people have suggested he could play running back or receiver at the next level. He has vision, acceleration, agility, and game-breaking speed. He can make defenders miss in the open field or run in between the tackles, and he can pull away from any defender in the country.

Jackson looks like he is shot out of a cannon when he runs. It is effortless as he glides pass defenders making them look like they are stuck in the mud. It’s impossible not to get excited about his numerous incredible runs.

He is an elite runner pic.twitter.com/AlMzFMyjJc

— Eliot Crist (@EliotCrist) March 20, 2017

Too many people are saying that Jackson will need to make a position switch in order to be given a chance to play quarterback at the next level, but this is simply not true. Jackson is excellent attacking zones. He can make reads and deliver the ball quickly. He is best in short to intermediate routes and is able to deliver to the ball quickly and accurately.

Really good velocity here to hit the hole in the cover 2 pic.twitter.com/p9Jku7zAsU

— Eliot Crist (@EliotCrist) March 20, 2017

While Jackson is very successful versus zone coverage — and he will see more of it in his career than most due to his running ability — he still needs to improve his ability to read a defense. Too often he stays on his first read and if it’s not open goes to a check down or looks to run. Bobby Petrino said Louisville’s offense will have more of an NFL look to it this year and that will be a big test to Lamar Jackson’s stock.

Just because Jackson is a player who deserves to and will get his shot at quarterback does not mean he is a quarterback without his flaws. Jackson needs to improve his deep ball accuracy, decision making, and velocity. Too often he decides pre-snap he is throwing it deep and throws the ball into double coverage where there is no chance of completing the pass.

Pre determined read results in an interception pic.twitter.com/DogkJHuWST

— Eliot Crist (@EliotCrist) March 20, 2017

His tape is littered with missed throws; the further he needs to deliver the ball down the field, the less accurate he is. He finished with a 56.2% completion percentage, which is simply not good enough. He did have receivers that dropped the ball, but that is not the sole reason for his low completion percentage.

Jackson will also need to improve his mechanics from the pocket. He has a weird hitch in his motion where he slowly turns his body and gives away where he is going to throw the ball. The slow delivery combined with a stare down can lead to a lot of interceptions at the next level.

Jackson has these slow deliberate turns when he throws that gives away where he is throwing the ball pic.twitter.com/4W4kUuGzIy

— Eliot Crist (@EliotCrist) March 20, 2017

Bottom Line

Lamar Jackson will be front and center of the college football world in 2018. He is a prime candidate to repeat as the Heisman trophy winner, and if he can build and improve on his 2017 he could be the top overall pick in the 2018 draft. However, his flaws are very real and if he doesn’t improve teams may question his fit for them at the next level. Regardless, he should get a chance at the next level, and his ceiling as a fantasy quarterback is the highest of any quarterback in the draft class.

Projected Round – Top 15 pick

Player Comparison – Michael Vick

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