2018 NFL Draft: Lamar Jackson new face of the franchise for Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens were able to make a brilliant move by selecting Louisville’s Lamar Jackson with the 32nd pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Louisville football’s 2016 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Lamar Jackson has now officially made the jump to the NFL, and the Cardinals have to turn their attention to finding out if Jawon Pass is the answer as the starter under center. However, head football coach Bobby Petrino can be very proud of how Jackson panned out in the 2018 NFL Draft, selected No. 32 overall to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Philadelphia Eagles originally held the spot where the Ravens selected Jackson. Baltimore had to trade up to snag the polarizing dual-threat quarterback before someone else did early in the second round. Instead, they moved up to get him with the final pick of the first day of the 2018 NFL Draft.
In total, five quarterbacks were selected in the first round. Outside of Jackson, Baker Mayfield went to the Cleveland Browns, Sam Darnold to the New York Jets, Josh Allen to the Buffalo Bills, and Josh Rosen to the Arizona Cardinals. Jackson to the Ravens could end up as the best of all these first round quarterback selections.
This pick of Jackson could always qualify as the biggest steal of any player selected in the first round. Most projections had Jackson coming off the board in the middle or later picks of the first round, but rarely as late as No. 32. Baltimore now gets someone to carry the torch after Super Bowl Champion Joe Flacco is done.
Jackson could even take over as the starter as soon as the 2018 regular season. Flacco seems to be on his last legs, and the Ravens selected a quarterback like Jackson at the perfect time. If Jackson can step in and make an immediate difference, he’ll be the face of Baltimore’s franchise before we know it.
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Baltimore also had a first round selection earlier than Jackson, and they took South Carolina Gamecocks tight end Hayden Hurst. Most of the moves the Ravens made in the early and middle rounds of the draft were to build around a new quarterback.