Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. The 27-year-old quarterback already plays beyond his years and even bagged the NFL MVP award in his second year in the NFL. Here’s taking a look back at the Heisman Trophy winner’s NFL Draft.
Lamar Jackson Draft: Year, Date, Round and Pick Number
| Draft Year | Round | Pick Number | NFL Team | Position | College | Conference (College) |
| 2018 | 1 | 32 | Baltimore Ravens | Quarterback | University of Louisville | Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) |
Jackson entered the NFL 2018 Draft as the winner of the Heisman Trophy (2016) and consecutive winner of the ACC Athlete of the Year.
Grading Lamar Jackson’s NFL Draft
Lamar Jackson is a Grade ‘A’ draft for the Baltimore Ravens. Jackson featured in 16 games in his rookie season and started 7 of those games. His amazing performances for the Ravens landed him a unanimous NFL MVP award in the 2019 season. His rushing abilities make him one of the most formidable dual-threat quarterbacks in the league. He holds the record for most rushing yards and passing yards by an NFL quarterback.
Lamar Jackson Draft photo: How old was Lamar Jackson when he went to the NFL?
Lamar Jackson was 21 when he entered the 2018 NFL Draft. He was the last pick of the first round although he was one of the best quarterbacks entering the 2018 Draft. Jackson was the fifth quarterback selected that year. Jackson finished his college career with 9043 passing yards and a total of 69 touchdown passes. He also completed an impressive 50 rushing touchdowns.
Lamar Jackson’s Draft Bio and Profile
The NFL Draft Report is prepared by scouts after analyzing the potential of players entering the NFL Draft. It helps teams make better draft selections suited to their needs. Scouts predicted that Jackson would be a late pick in the first round of the draft. Here is a summary of Lamar Jackson’s Draft Bio and Report:
| Lamar Jackson | Quarterback, University of Louisville. 6 ft. 2 inches, 216 pounds |
| Summary | An explosive athlete with more than 9000 passing yards and 4000 rushing yards in his college career. Serious doubts exist about his pro potential leading several teams to request that Jackson work out with the wide receivers at the combine. He shut down those requests instantly. Lamar Jackson is absolutely a quarterback prospect and a very promising one at that. |
| Positives | Explosive running threat who is also spectacularly agile in the pocket and skilled at avoiding the rush. Has outrageous flexibility to extend manoeuvres at every play. Makes difficult throws on the field with ease. Good at deep ball passing Attacks the middle of the field with good short/intermediate passes. |
| Negatives | Not an accurate passer. Doubts about him leading an NFL team as a quarterback. Timing and rhythm mechanics need work. The throwing stance is narrow and panics when pressured. Takes unnecessary risks and throws in ill-advised windows. Needs to adapt his running style to stay fit in the NFL. Concerns about his maturity as he declined to run 40-yard dashes at the NFL Combine and Pro Day. Made a lackluster throwing display. |
| NFL Combine Note | QB Ball Velocity: 49 MPH, Hand Size: 9.5 inches, Arm Length: 33.13 Inches & Wonderlic: 13 |
How many quarterbacks were chosen before Lamar Jackson?
Lamar Jackson was the fifth quarterback to be selected in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was overall pick number 32. Here are the quarterbacks who were drafted prior to Lamar Jackson:
- Baker Mayfield
The Cleveland Browns selected Baker Mayfield as the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. He has been important for the Browns as he helped them overcome their playoff drought. The Heisman Trophy winner is the starting quarterback for the Browns and signed a contract extension in 2021.
- Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold was overall pick number 3 in the 2018 NFL Draft. The New York Jets drafted him after he came off a Rose Bowl-winning season with the University of Southern California, He was drafted by New York Jets after impressing for the University of Southern California. He is the youngest NFL starting quarterback on an opening day since the NFL-AFL merger. The Jets traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in 2021.
- Josh Allen
Josh Allen was drafted by the Buffalo Bills as the 7th pick of the First Round. He has been an influential player for the Buffalo Bills and as their starting quarterback, he helped the team end their Playoff drought. He has helped the Bills reach the Divisional round in consecutive seasons and has made the team a constant playoff contender.
- Josh Rosen
Rosen was the 10th overall pick in the draft and he was drafted by the Cardinals. Rosen has had a lackluster career and has already been traded 4 times. He has made a total of 16 career starts to date and currently is a free agent.
Who was the Number one Pick when Lamar Jackson was drafted?
Baker Mayfield was the number one pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Mayfield has lived up to his number 1 selection status till now, as he helped revamp the performances of an underperforming Browns side. His passing accuracy remains a concern as it dropped after his rookie season. Mayfield suffered a right knee contusion in Week 10 of the 2021 season. He missed the remainder of the season and even the playoff games. After several down years where he failed to perform to his potential, Mayfield led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Divisional Round in the 2023-24 season.
Who was Ravens QB before Jackson?
Joe Flacco was the starting quarterback for the Ravens before the arrival of Lamar Jackson. Flacco was the starting quarterback in Jackson’s rookie season too However, they almost had an equal share of games as starters. Flacco played for the Ravens from 2008 to 2018 and even helped them win Super Bowl XLVII where he was named Super Bowl MVP. Flacco is known for having one of the strongest arms in the NFL and holds the record for the most career passing yards and touchdowns for any quarterback who was never in a Pro Bowl.
Who was the quarterback before Lamar Jackson at Louisville?
Lamar Jackson replaced Will Gardner as the starting quarterback for the Louisville Cardinals. Gardner did not pursue football after college. He completed 1669 passing yards in the 2014 season for the Louisville Cardinals and made 12 touchdown passes.
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FAQs
Q. Is Lamar Jackson married?
A. Lamar Jackson is not yet married, however he has been dating Jaime Taylor since the past few years.
A. Lamar Jackson is not yet married, however he has been dating Jaime Taylor since the past few years.
Q. How many Pro Bowls has Lamar Jackson made?
A. Lamar Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowler having been selected in 2019, 2021, and 2023.
A. Lamar Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowler having been selected in 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Q. Has Lamar Jackson won the MVP Award?
A. Lamar Jackson won the unanimous NFL MVP in 2019 for his outstanding season.
A. Lamar Jackson won the unanimous NFL MVP in 2019 for his outstanding season.
Q. Which college did Lamar Jackson go to?
A. Lamar Jackson went to the University of Louisville where he played on the Louisville Cardinals football team.
A. Lamar Jackson went to the University of Louisville where he played on the Louisville Cardinals football team.
