Lamar Jackson has more hype than any other player in Ravens training camp. It is important to remember that he is a rookie:
From all the reports coming out of training camp, it safe to say that Lamar Jackson has some work to do. The Baltimore Ravens just released the first depth chart and Jackson is the third name listed at quarterback. It is now important to remember three things.
First, Jackson is a rookie. He has to earn everything he gets in the NFL. While he is the presumptive quarterback of the future, the Ravens can’t take it easy on Jackson. Hayden Hurst was also a first round pick and he’s behind even Vince Mayle at the tight end position. Rookies don’t walk in as starters, not even rookies with a Heisman trophy. Training camp is long, and every day is a chance for players to climb the depth chart.
This report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (In tweet below) is pretty telling. Garafolo breaks down how Jackson is looking in training camp, and highlights how consistency is the biggest problem to conquer.
#Ravens rookie Lamar Jackson is a work in progress. The flashes are there but the consistency isn’t right now. Work to be done, and that was evident today. pic.twitter.com/PNsjz3gWrx
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 24, 2018
The second thing to remember is that Jackson is not even close to a finished product. The rookie passer has talent that must be honed. Jackson has been inconsistent in camp. Don’t overreact, Baltimore that is common with rookies. Joe Flacco is the unquestioned starter. It is up to Jackson to prove that he gives the Ravens more than Robert Griffin III.
Thirdly, it is incredibly early. The Ravens have an extra preseason game and they haven’t even started playing games. The depth chart the Ravens have now is preliminary. It is a snapshot of the current moment. Jackson has more raw talent than any quarterback on the roster. What good is that talent, if he can’t deliver the results yet? Believe it, Jackson will get there.
It’s not like Jackson won’t make the team, he was a first round pick. The Ravens may feel inclined to keep three quarterbacks for the first time in a long time. That remains to be seen. At the moment, Jackson is the third quarterback on the depth chart. It’s a real “Welcome to the NFL, rookie” kind of thing.
The bottom line is that the Ravens are actually going to have the patience they said they would with Jackson. It wasn’t all the company line. Jackson is a project for James Urban, Marty Mornhinweg and John Harbaugh to manage. Every project has a deadline, but the Ravens are in the perfect situation with Jackson. Joe Flacco is the starting quarterback. If Griffin III is needed to be the number two, then the Ravens can just keep three. The Ravens should be through the roof euphoric that Jackson is a Raven, but they need to remember that he is still just a rookie.