Ravens: Lamar Jackson headlines the NFL’s All-Under-25 Team
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens may have one of the older rosters in the NFL, but they’re headlined by one specific player who is far from an aging veteran. That player is quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson remains one of the NFL’s best young stars and the Ravens hope to have him under center for a long, long time.
Nick Shook of NFL.com recently put together a list of the best players under the age of 25. The goal was to create one super-team consisting of only players 24-years-old or younger.
The Ravens only had one representative on the list — but it was the player who headlined the entire team. Lamar Jackson was honored as the lone quarterback on the roster.
The Ravens have perhaps the best young QB in football in Lamar Jackson.
Jackson was chosen over the likes of Justin Herbert, Kyler Murray, and others, and it’s easy to see why. The former league MVP has been one of the best quarterbacks in football over the last two years.
Following a breakout 2019 campaign that saw him named MVP, Jackson put together another excellent season in 2020 in which he became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in multiple seasons.
His primary competition in the past would have been players like Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. But with each of them turning 25 last September, Jackson was a relatively easy choice.
Shook had the following to say about the Ravens’ superstar quarterback.
"“Of those who did qualify, [Lamar] Jackson was the clear choice. He’s the only player in NFL history to post 7,000-plus passing yards and 2,500-plus rushing yards in his first three seasons. It’s tough to argue with the candidacy of this former MVP.”"
The Ravens roster remains one of the oldest in football with the likes of Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, Jimmy Smith, and Pernell McPhee still playing important roles on defense. That’s not even to mention their aging specialists in Justin Tucker and Sam Koch.
But Baltimore isn’t lacking in young talent either. Jackson is the shining example of that.
Perhaps another Ravens player that could have been considered is running back J.K. Dobbins. The 22-year-old burst onto the scene as a rookie last season and led all NFL running backs with an outstanding 6.0 yards per carry.
Shook chose Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts over Dobbins, but the former Ohio State star certainly has a case of his own.
Other standout sub-25-year-olds that could have been considered are the likes of Marquise Brown (24) and Patrick Queen (21) although they each faced steep competition.
It should be noted that, despite being 24-years-old, cornerback Marlon Humphrey wasn’t eligible as he will turn 25 before the start of the season. Otherwise, he surely would have made the team.
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Still, the Ravens have the most important player on this list. Lamar Jackson will look to continue his stretch of dominance with another incredible season in 2021.