2020 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings: Cam Newton signing shakes things up
By Randy Gurzi
Scouting Report. QB. Baltimore Ravens. 2. player. Pick Analysis. Lamar Jackson. 26
There were four quarterbacks taken ahead of Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft and none of them have come close to the success the Louisville product has. Jackson, who was the final pick in that round and the second for the Baltimore Ravens who traded back into the opening round, has been nothing short of phenomenal.
He took over for an injured Joe Flacco after nine games in his rookie season and went 6-1 as the starter. He followed that up with the most impressive winning streak of the season as he led the Ravens to 12-straight wins following a 2-2 start.
In all, that leaves him 19-3 overall in the regular season as the starting quarterback for the Ravens. As for Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen, only Allen has had a winning season — Darnold came close going 7-6 but the team was 7-9 overall.
Critics will point to the 0-2 start to his postseason career but that’s being short-sighted. Jackson has proven himself to be a transcendent star and won the NFL MVP for his sensational second season. Once called a ‘running back’ by a former NFL executive, Jackson completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 3,127 yards with an insane 36-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
As if that wasn’t enough, he had 1,206 yards and another seven touchdowns on the ground for Baltimore.
At this point, anyone who is criticizing Jackson simply hasn’t watched him play. This kid is the real deal and the Ravens found themselves a leader that they can get behind. The final first-round pick in the illustrious career of GM Ozzie Newsom will be paying dividends for years to come.