Michael Vick was one of the most exciting quarterbacks in NFL history, and he’s likening 2016 Heisman winner and 2018 NFL Draft prospect Lamar Jackson to himself.
During his three-year career (one redshirt season) at Virginia Tech, Michael Vick established himself as one of the most exciting players in college football. Vick scored three rushing touchdowns in his first career college game, and that set the tone for the rest of his collegiate career. Vick would eventually be the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, becoming the face of the Atlanta Falcons franchise.
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Lamar Jackson also looks poised to be a future first-round pick and the future face of an NFL team. While Sam Darnold is expected to be the first overall pick at this point in the process, Jackson is part of a group of about five quarterbacks who should hear their names called in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Out of all of those quarterbacks, Jackson had the most impressive 2017 college football season, and his electric playmaking has allowed him to draw comparisons to Vick.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal‘s Steve Jones, Vick seems to be in agreement with these comparisons. He said:
"“If I’ve ever seen another guy that looks like me, it’s been Lamar Jackson.”"
It’s high praise for Jackson, but he’s fully deserving of it. Last season, Jackson threw 30 touchdowns to just nine interceptions in his second season as a starter, and he averaged a whopping 8.7 yards per pass attempt. Jackson was even more impressive on the ground with over 1,500 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, and it’s no wonder why he became the youngest recipient of the Heisman in the award’s history.
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Despite all of this, not everyone within the league is sold on Jackson as a franchise quarterback, and the Courier-Journal piece contains several quotes from league insiders who express their concerns. However, Jackson is consistently ranked by many as a top quarterback prospect, and one area scout told Walter Football that the Louisville star is even more polished than Vick was at Virginia Tech.