Our Lamar Jackson FAQs will shine some light on this year’s NFL’s breakout player.
In last night’s game against the Jets, Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes and virtually locked up the league’s MVP award. It was Jackson’s third five-touchdown performance this season.
Jackson, a nightmare match-up for even the savviest NFL defense, has truly redefined the quarterback role in the National Football League. If this level of play continues for some time, will he be regarded as the best the league has ever produced at QB?
The fact that many are even asking the question speaks volumes. Lamar Jackson is a one-of-a-kind player making his team, the Baltimore Ravens, the favorite to win the Super Bowl. Let’s find out more about this electrifying player who has taken the NFL by storm.
Lamar Jackson FAQs: The Basics
Here are some common questions folks have about Ravens’ star Lamar Jackson.
Lamar Jackson is 6 feet, 2 inches tall.
Jackson weighs 212 pounds.
Born on January 7, 1997, Jackson is 24 years old.
Born in Pompano Beach, Florida, Lamar Jackson attended Boynton Beach High School.
Deep Cuts: Other FAQs About Lamar
Here’s some more info on the NFL star.
What number is Jackson?
No. 8.
What position does he play?
Quarterback.
How big are his hands?
The pre-draft measurement for his hands recorded them at 9.5 inches.
What team does he play for?
Baltimore Ravens.
See How many games are in an NFL season?
What year was he drafted, and in what round?
Lamar Jackson was drafted with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
College Background
What college did he attend?
The University of Louisville.
Learn all about the teams, mascots, Super Bowl Wins, and career Won/Loss records of the NFC North.
Did he win any awards in college?
Jackson won the Heisman Trophy in 2016, along with the Maxwell Award, The Walter Camp Award and was named the Associated Press Player of the Year.
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What were Lamar Jackson’s college stats?
Jackson played in 38 games in college games and completed 619 passes for 9,043 yards and 69 touchdowns with just 27 interceptions. He also rushed for 4,132 yards and another 50 touchdowns.
Baltimore Ravens Achievements
What was Lamar Jackson’s record during his NFL rookie season?
Of the 7 games that Jackson started, the Ravens went 6-1. The lone loss was to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
What is Lamar Jackson’s 40-yards dash time?
Trick question- Jackson didn’t run the 40 because he wanted to showcase his talent as a QB. Many scouts and critics believed he was too raw to play as an NFL QB and believed he should transition to a wide receiver with his athletic ability. Jackson doubled down on his intention to play QB by opting out of the 40-yard-dash and focusing instead on his throwing abilities.
How far can he throw the football?
Some videos show him tossing the rock 95 yards, maybe even 100.
Who is Lamar Jackson frequently compared to as a player?
Jackson is most frequently compared to Michael Vick because of his speed and ability to run the football like a running back. Also, his big season mirrors Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, who won the NFL MVP in his second year.
How popular is Lamar Jackson’s licensed merchandise?
On Cyber Monday 2019, Fanatics reported that Lamar Jackson’s merchandise outsold every other player. However, in one specific category, jersey sales, Jackson did come in second- second to Tom Brady.
What is Lamar Jackson’s net worth?
Different sources report different figures, but his worth is estimated to be between 1 and 5 million dollars. That figure is set to skyrocket, with endorsement deals set to flood in, in the wake of his monumental season.
What can you say about Lamar Jackson’s Mom?
His mother is Felicia Jones. When his father passed away when Lamar was young, Felicia raised Lamar. Before being drafted, Lamar appointed his mother as his manager. She felt strongly that Lamar should only play for a team that would allow him to play QB. Many scouts and teams encouraged him to play different positions because of his athleticism.
Why was Lamar drafted with the last pick in Round 1 and not sooner?
After watching Lamar destroy the league in 2019, it seems inconceivable that he would be the last pick of the first round, with 4 other quarterbacks going ahead of him in the draft. Of those 4 other QBs, all went in the top ten, while Jackson slid all the way down to 32.
Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen were all seen as better prospects, yet only Allen currently holds a winning record. How is it possible that all the high-paid scouts and managers made such a devastating miscalculation? Well, it might have more to do with Jackson’s perceived risk than his talent.
There is no denying that Jackson is athletically gifted, but that doesn’t always translate into positive things at the NFL level. John Harbaugh explained some of the reasoning behind why the Ravens decided to take Jackson before anyone else did, and it sheds light on why some other teams might have been hesitant.
For Harbaugh, it wasn’t about whether Jackson had the talent. It was about fitting him into the NFL with a new system with new teammates and new coaches. Jackson’s skills are so dynamic that they are unique only to him. Some of the other QBs were much more “textbook” and easier to integrate their styles into an existing NFL system. A player like Jackson is an X-factor, but when he is your QB, it creates an X-factor element on every offensive snap. This can be a tremendous boon if things work out, but undeniably there is also a bigger risk.
What was the Ravens’ Plan?
Harbaugh explained that deciding to draft Jackson, the decision to retool the entire Ravens offense was also made the instant the pick became official. It is understandable, then, to assume some other teams were just unwilling to attach that level of risk and uncertainty to a first-round pick.
By selecting Jackson, the Ravens organization also put the writing on the wall for their former Super Bowl-winning QB, Joe Flacco. Ironically, Joe Flacco has registered as one of the most textbook pocket passers and also the least mobile QBs in recent memory.
Although his arm strength is impressive, his raw athletics are almost the complete opposite of Jackson’s. There are even compilation videos that show him failing to complete a basic slide after scrambling out of the pocket.
The Ravens decided that if they were going to change the QB position, they would go big. They dedicated the offense to Lamar’s abilities and even signed Robert Griffin III as his future backup. Jackson and Griffin have very similar skillsets and even match up closely with weights of 212 and 213 pounds, and both stand 6-foot-2. The Ravens wanted an experienced backup that could fit the new system if needed while also giving veteran leadership advice to their new rookie.
How did the Ravens unlock Lamar in 2019?
Would we be sitting here watching Lamar Jackson turn the football world upside down if another team had taken him before the Ravens did? It is safe to assume that a player is only as great as his supporting cast, and the system will allow him to be.
Who knows, if the Browns had drafted him, we might be speculating about his regression right now, like what Baker Mayfield is experiencing. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about that. The Ravens ensured he could reach his ceiling by focusing on their new QB and every tool they could use to ensure he was supported.
Why did the Ravens give Lamar the reigns?
The Ravens made it clear there was no turning back as early as last postseason. Even though Flacco was healthy and Jackson struggled against the Chargers late in the wildcard round of the 2018 playoffs, the coaches kept Jackson in the game. Jackson and the Ravens lose that game, but the team kept true to the budding star, later dealing Flacco to Denver in the offseason. They also signed Mark Ingram to be a ground-and-pound running back to strengthen the running game and force defenses to respect the run.
In the 2019 draft, the Ravens sought to bolster their offense with more weapons. They drafted Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in the first round. Marquise Brown is the cousin of Antonio Brown and was graded as the most dangerous WR in the draft. The Ravens then grabbed another talented WR in, Myles Boykin in the 3rd round. Then in the 4th round, they grabbed RB Justice Hill and guard Ben Powers. This strengthened the receiving game and the running game immediately.
But then the coaches went even further. They employed the use of statistical analytics to analyze football tape from Lamar’s rookie season. Harbaugh and Co didn’t just want a good supporting cast around Jackson. They wanted the deep data on how to call the best plays in given situations for Jackson. Harbaugh has stated that this year, especially on tough play calls, the Ravens like to do what the data suggests.
So far, it has worked out well for them. The Ravens use more deep-data analytics than any other team in the NFL right now. They are using the findings to coach their new-look Ravens to the top seed in the AFC heading into the playoffs in a few weeks.
Lamar is looking for a big year in 2021. Can he lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl? We’ll see.
— Red Zone Rick
Early to jump on the Lamar Jackson bandwagon, RZ Rick covers fantasy football and the NFL for Sports Feel Good Stories. Who better to address Lamar Jackson’s FAQs?
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