The Baltimore Ravens have found a gem in quarterback Lamar Jackson. The team moved up in the 2018 NFL draft to select the former Louisville star, and the rest is history. The quarterback has accomplished many feats in the NFL through four seasons, which includes bringing in the second-ever unanimous MVP award, the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season, and multiple team records. The Ravens were lucky to have Jackson fall in the draft, and it shows every time he takes a snap.
Last season, Jackson suffered a bone bruise that forced him to miss the final six games of the regular season. The quarterback’s importance to the team showed heavily as Baltimore would not win any of those contests. Despite Jackson missing a quarter of the season in 2021 and him not attending voluntary organized team activities, one analyst sees the quarterback being one of scariest at his position entering the 2022 NFL season in a good way.
Bucky Brooks of NFL.com detailed his five scariest quarterbacks entering 2022 NFL season, and he placed Jackson at No. 4 on the list. When explaining why, Brooks credited Jackson’s dual-threat ability that will continue to give opposing defensive coordinators fits.
“The so-called slump from the former NFL MVP in 2021 has led some observers to have amnesia when recalling Jackson’s impact as a playmaker on the perimeter. After tallying a pair of 1,000-yard seasons as a rusher, defensive coordinators are well aware of his ability to take over the game on the ground. No. 8 is an explosive runner with superb ball-handling skills as an option quarterback executing a variety of power-read and counter-read plays. He has shown the ability to take it the distance as a runner from anywhere on the field and that forces opponents to pay extra attention to him in the box. With the fifth-year pro displaying enough proficiency as a passer down the middle of the field to punish opponents for overplaying the run, defensive coordinators have to pick and choose when to ratchet up the pressure against a quarterback who possesses the athleticism and arm talent to counter aggressive tactics.”
Jackson has often been critiqued on his passing ability, but he has shown improvements and looked decent last season prior to the injury. He is able to both run and throw at a high level, which makes him one of the most unique talents in the NFL. After missing a good portion of last season, Jackson will be ready to show that he has not missed a beat and continue to play great football in what is at this moment in time a contract year.
