Lamar Jackson says 9 words that show exactly how he felt about being picked last
The NFL draft is usually pretty good TV for football fans — the anticipation of who your team is going to pick, the crowd reactions, the trades, the elation of players whose dreams have come true and the disappointment of those picked lower than they thought.
Then there is the draft analysis — which team made the best picks, which team whiffed, who should have picked who.
Of course, the only draft analysis that counts comes months or sometimes years later. That’s when you look back and see who was a bust, who fulfilled all expectations and who exceeded expectations.
Take, for example, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner wasn’t drafted until the last pick of the first round when the Baltimore Ravens traded up to grab him. No. 32 was much lower than most mock drafts had him going. Most expected Jackson to be taken in the mid-teens to low-20s.
In fact, there was a lot of buzz about the New England Patriots taking Jackson at No. 23. He had worked out with the team twice, and the Patriots reportedly loved Jackson’s “intelligence and football acumen.”
When Jackson was still on the board at No. 23, many thought he would be headed to Foxborough.
After a trade with the Ravens to No. 22, the Titans take Rashaan Evans.
The Patriots are on the clock for the first time tonight at No. 23. Lamar Jackson is on the board. Now we find out if the interest amounts to the pick.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) April 27, 2018
But instead, the Patriots opted for Georgia offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn.
New England had another crack at Jackson at No. 31. Surely Bill Belichick would snag him there.
At No. 30, the Vikings take Mike Hughes.
The Patriots are on the clock for the second time tonight at No. 31. They already took G/T Isaiah Wynn. And of course, Lamar Jackson remains available.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) April 27, 2018
Nope. The Patriots chose Wynn’s Georgia teammate, running back Sony Michel.
But with the next pick, No. 32, the Ravens made their move. They traded back into the first round, giving the Philadelphia Eagles the 52nd and 125th picks and a 2019 second-rounder for the opportunity to get the heir apparent to Joe Flacco.
Oh, you thought we were done? 😈
📺: NFL Network/FOX/ESPN pic.twitter.com/JLcQ5jgmBZ
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 27, 2018
While he might have been disappointed not to be drafted earlier, he issued a bold prediction about his future in Baltimore.
“They’re going to get a Super Bowl out of me,” Jackson told Deion Sanders on the NFL Network. “Believe that.”
Jackson said he looks forward to being Flacco’s apprentice.
“I want to learn a lot,” Jackson said via NBC Sports. “A guy who wins the Super Bowl, he’s the GOAT to me. I look up to him, just want to learn a lot from his experience and how he led his team.”
Jackson was the fifth quarterback taken in the first round after Baker Mayfied (No. 1 by the Browns), Sam Darnold (No. 3 by the Jets), Josh Allen (No. 7 by the Bills) and Josh Rosen (No. 10 by the Cardinals).
Which of those five will go on to have the best careers, and which will fail to meet expectations? Will teams regret passing on Jackson? Only time will tell.
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