Lamar Jackson ranked best rushing QB by ESPN

It feels like Lamar Jackson signed his five-year, $260 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens two or eight years ago, doesn't it? Well, that happened just a few months ago but if we're honest, we should still be celebrating both sides coming to such a humongous and long-term agreement.

Jackson has thrived in Baltimore, so much so that he went on to snatch the 2019 MVP trophy from all other NFL players back then in just his second season as a pro and his first starting on a full-time basis after only testing the waters partially in 2018 coming out of Louisville.

In just five seasons, Jackson has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The folks over ESPN ranked all starting QBs in different categories entering the 2023 season, and they named Jackson the best rushing QB currently leading an NFL franchise.

""The conversation surrounding Jackson’s rushing should not be centered around whether he’s the best in the NFL today — it should be about whether he is the best rushing quarterback to ever play the game. I’d argue yes, as his combination of speed and agility completely changes the equation for the Ravens’ offense every single play. He’s unstoppable as a runner, averaging 6.1 yards per carry over five seasons and posting two campaigns with 1,000-plus yards on the ground.""

- Field Yates, ESPN

The panel of analysts asked to rank the quarterbacks by different traits included Matt Bowen, Tim Hasselbeck, Matt Miller, Dan Orlovsky, Jason Reid, Jordan Reid, Mike Tannenbaum, Seth Walder, and Field Yates. The latter was the one writing a little blurb explaining Jackson's pick as the best active rusher at the position.

"The conversation surrounding Jackson's rushing should not be centered around whether he's the best in the NFL today," Yates started."It should be about whether he is the best-rushing quarterback to ever play the game."

Uh, oh, mic drop.

Yates, truth be told, is completely right with his assesment of Jackson's skill set and rushing chops. Nobody in the history of the NFL has done what Jackson has accomplished in a tiny five-year span with the Ravens, let alone winning an MVP trophy while at it.

According to the pundit, Jackson's combination of speed and agility "completely changes the equation for the Ravens' offense."

As Yates couldn't have written better, Jackson is simply "unstoppable as a runner."

More Baltimore Ravens News