At this point in his NFL career, the narrative around Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is well established. He's an elite player who has struggled to win in the postseason. While the playoff losses can't all be placed on his shoulders, it's undeniable that Baltimore has struggled to get over the hump in recent years.
NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. just pushed that narrative a few steps further. On ESPN's "UNSPORTSMANLIKE," he said, "He needs to be good in the playoffs, lead this team to a Super Bowl, and have the kind of year we expect Lamar to have. I'm not saying Lamar can't. Lamar needs to. If he doesn't, and there's an injury or he doesn't get it done, then they're drafting a quarterback in the first round of 2027. Mark it down. Put it in pen."
Yeah, that'll get fans riled up.
Mel Kiper drops Lamar Jackson take Ravens fans won't love
Let's all take a collective breath.
The idea that the Ravens would move on from a multiple-time MVP after the first year of a new regime is hard to grasp. However valid the concerns around Jackson's playoff performances in recent years may be, it's hard to argue that any other available quarterback would give the Ravens a better chance to win than he does.
Even if Baltimore has another disastrous season and misses out on the playoffs entirely, they'll likely only be picking near the middle of the draft. There's no guarantee that they could find a starting-caliber quarterback in that range, let alone one that would rival Jackson's talent.
Kiper makes the argument that the Ravens have had success with quarterbacks drafted late in the first round before, and he's right. But that doesn't mean that they could catch lightning in a bottle again. Finding a player like Jackson at the end of the first round is rare. It's more likely that the successor would be average or worse.
Jackson has absolutely fallen short in the playoffs in recent years. The turnovers in key moments need to change. It's a concern worth talking about, but suggesting that the team should decide to move on entirely takes the conversation a step too far.
Instead, the Ravens should focus on finding players to support Jackson in their quest to reach the Super Bowl. With the right support around him, the MVP quarterback is capable of getting the job done and delivering a title to Baltimore.