One of the most athletic NFL prospects Lamar Jackson is being asked to switch positions if he wants to be considered for the NFL.
Jackson is a quarterback. He has always been a quarterback. The Heisman Trophy winner never took snaps at any other position for the Louisville Cardinals.
Lamar Jackson: “I’m not gonna be a receiver. At all…that’s crazy. I thought I did a great job at quarterback.”
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) March 2, 2018
Jackson’s passing percentage has also been called into play, yet his 59.1% completion rate in 2017 was superior to Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen‘s 56.3%, yet Allen, who’s being touted by some as the potential No.1 overall pick, is being fawned over as the next Carson Wentz.
Jackson, Louisville’s leader, won the Heisman Trophy two years ago as a dynamic, mobile quarterback. He was a Heisman finalist again this past year as an elusive, one-of-a-kind playmaker. Michael Vick has been used as a comparison for his skill set. And yet former NFL GM Bill Polian said last week it’s time for Jackson to move to wide receiver, and multiple teams did do that here this week.
If I’m LJ and a team asked me to work out at WR, I wouldn’t want to play for that team. It’s insulting. Additionally, asserting that he can improve and develop (like any pro prospect) shouldn’t be controversial. Can your brain handle this nuanced tweet?
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) March 2, 2018
It’s not Jackson who should change his position, it’s NFL executives who seem to never know how to do their job. Many executives said the same thing about Cam Newton coming out of Auburn. The same thing was once about Colin Kaepernick coming out of college before leading the San Fransico 49ers to a SuperBowl appearance.
Luckily, some of the brightest minds in the game like Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome have said they have absolutely no interest in the ludicrous notion of seeing Jackson work out as a pass catcher.
“Yeah, I’m not much on that,” Reid said Wednesday at the annual NFL Combine. “I want to bring him in. Let’s exhaust that other thing that we know he’s good at and sees. I’m just saying in general. This is a general statement: Let’s get him in and let him wing it a little bit and see how he does. We’ll be able to fit some things in there I’m sure.”
Time will tell if or when Jackson will be drafted in April’s NFL draft. The future will be bright for Jackson regardless where he ends up.
