Hall of Fame G.M. Bill Polian thought Lamar Jackson should play receiver. To the extent that current NFL scouts had similar views, some General Managers are in the process of finding out.
Jay Glazer of FOX reports that some General Managers are looking back at the 2018 pre-draft reports to see which scouts said that Jackson should not play quarterback in the NFL.
It’s likely not unprecedented for teams that missed on a star to go back to see what they thought about the player. In this case, the effort to explore the anti-Lamar rabbit hole could be part of an effort by the General Managers to explain why they weren’t clamoring for Jackson, the last pick in round one and the last of five first-round quarterbacks -- 22 spots after the Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen.
Jackson has quickly emerged as the best of all 2018 quarterbacks, by far. The signs were there, based on his dominance at Louisville. The Ravens saw it, they believed in it, and they worked the board to perfection to snatch Jackson by trading back into round one.
Here’s another factor that helped the Ravens: Jackson didn’t have an agent. Which means that he didn’t have someone to sell him aggressively to teams, and that he likewise didn’t have someone to protect him against the Bill Polians of the world. The best agents can boost a client while also neutralizing other agents who are making the case over and over again for their guy(s) by crapping on other players.
Regardless of how it all happened, the Ravens evaluated Jackson perfectly, and they were able to get him when they did because everyone else who was looking for a quarterback (or who should have been looking for a quarterback) ultimately got it wrong.
