Louisville Football: Is Lamar Jackson a sure-fire franchise quarterback?
Scouting Report
While Lamar Jackson isn’t a perfect prospect, it’s hard not to absolutely fall in love with his jaw-dropping athletic abilities.
One things scouts will notice is that Jackson has a cannon for an arm.
On this play Lamar takes the snap from the pistol formation. After faking the ball to his running back, Jackson launches a play-action pass 50 yards in the air, connecting with receiver James Quick in stride for a 72-yard touchdown.
While Jackson does need to work on his accuracy, there is no doubt that he has pure arm talent that some coach will fall in love with.
Though not an in-game pass, this video shows Jackson sailing a pass from endzone to endzone while still a prospect in high school. While this skill will seldom be needed in an actual game it does highlight Jackson’s incredible natural gifts.
In addition to Jackson’s arm talent he is an incredible rusher.
On this play, Jackson is lined up in a split backfield with backs on either side of him. Jackson, a master of play action, takes the snap from his center and keeps the read-option. Lamar bursts through the line and speeds past opposing defenders. He eludes his initial tackler at the 5-yard-line mark and makes his way into the endzone for a 47-yard touchdown.
Jackson is a prolific college player, and will surely turn heads at the NFL combine. Not only will Jackson’s 40-yard dash be one of the biggest stories of the combine, but other tests could be equally exciting
This play, fondly known by many as the “Lamar Leap” highlights just how athletic Jackson is. After again faking the hand-off, Jackson darted toward the sideline, only to find a defender ready to deny his touchdown. But Jackson could not be stopped. While Lamar could have easily attempted to eluded his would-be tackler, breaking his ankles in the process, he instead decided that the more appropriate solution was instead to hurdle the defensive back, posterizing him in the process.
After any extended time evaluating Jackson’s tape, it becomes apparent just how dynamic a player he is. Lamar isn’t just another dual threat college quarterback, he is Allen Iverson in shoulder pads, dropping dimes, bursting past defenders and consistently crossing over would-be tacklers.