Lamar Jackson is the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football at Louisville, winning the Heismann Trophy and being named unanimous All-American after his stunning 2016 sophomore campaign. He threw for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns, running for 1,571 yards and another 21 scores that season. After posting nearly identical numbers as a junior, Jackson declared early for the 2018 NFL Draft. Flashing a 4.44 (100th-percentile) 40 time to go along with outstanding college stats, Lamar Jackson was selected by the Baltimore Ravens at pick No. 32 in the 2018 NFL Draft. Having seen other teams choose the likes of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Josh Rosen with top-10 picks, Ozzie Newsome jumped at the chance to trade up with the Eagles and select Jackson as their long-term replacement for the 32-year old Joe Flacco.
In Jackson’s first-ever NFL appearance - Week 1 of the 2018 season against Buffalo - he hinted at what was to come, carrying the ball seven times for 39 yards. After a Week 9 hip injury shelved the starter Flacco, the Ravens turned to the 21-year old Jackson. In his first career start (a win over the Bengals) Jackson threw for 150 yards and rushed for another 119. He kept the starting job the rest of the way that season, going 7-1 and leading the Ravens to the playoffs. Baltimore had seen all they needed to see; Flacco never played another game as a Raven.
In 2019, his first full season as the starter, Jackson took his game to another level, finishing No. 1 in QBR & No. 2 in True Passer Rating. He also finished top-8 in Accuracy Rating, Air Yards Per Attempt and Money Throws, leading the league with 36 touchdowns despite being only No. 26 in pass attempts. Jackson also added 1,207 yards and eight scores rushing, posting more rushing yards than all but five running backs and twice as many as any other quarterback. Jackson led the Ravens to a 14-2 record, bringing home the league MVP Award and earning a QB1 rank in fantasy PPG.
Jackson was QB2 in ADP entering 2020, but his passing numbers slipped that season and his Accuracy Rating fell to 7.1 (No. 28). His rushing, however, lifted him to to QB8 in points per game. Heading into the 2021 season, Next Gen Stats reported Lamar Jackson leading all NFL players in Rushing Yards Over Expected since he joined the league, with almost a 40-percent lead over second-ranked Derrick Henry. In 2021, he was a middling passer, posting a 7.7 (No. 14) Accuracy Rating. Once again, though, Jackson's rushing buoyed him, allowing him to finish as QB7 in PPG.
2022 was another injury-riddled year for Jackson. He started the year with three straight weeks of at least three passing touchdowns, however. Jackson went on to appear in 12 total games, finishing with 2,242 passing yards, 6.9 Yards Per Attempt and 764 rushing yards. While hampered by multiple injuries, he was still a top-8 QB in fantasy points per game from 2019 to 2022.
In the 2023 offseason, Jackson signed a massive five-year, $260-million dollar deal to stick with the Ravens long-term. Todd Monken replaced Greg Roman as offensive coordinator, and revamped the offense. Baltimore also made moves to upgrade Jackson's pass game weapons, acquiring Odell Beckham in free agency and Zay Flowers in the NFL Draft. Although Jackson was not as productive as in his 2019 MVP season, he showed exceptional command of Monken's offense and was awarded his second MVP Award.
