QB — Lamar Jackson 7.16
Scout- Jason Feiner
College: Louisville
Height: 6'3
Weight: 211
40-Time: TBD
Hand: 9 1/2”
Wonderlic: 13
Athleticism
Q.A.B. 9.00 Jackson is a pure athlete. He displays rare athletic ability, foot quickness, agility and balance to escape from pressure with ease.
Flexibility 8.50 Jackson has great flexibility; he consistently keeps his knees bent on each play. He finds ways to torque his body to escape from pressure.
C.O.D. 9.00 Jackson has a remarkable ability to plant his foot in the ground, and change direction to avoid defensive players and break into open field. He can escape from pressure and move efficiently when surrounded by opposing players. He can consistently turn negative yards into big yardage plays.
Explosiveness/Speed 8.00 Jackson is an explosive playmaker, that has the ability to break away on any given play. He has the long speed, coordination and agility to beat defenders to the corner and turn up field. Jackson is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands and in the open field.
Pocket Mobility/Avoid Pressure: 8.50 Jackson uses his athletic ability to avoid defenders when in the pocket. He is always a threat to run with the ball, leaving multiple parts of the field open. He can sense pressure, and avoid defenders. He needs to keep his eyes downfield, as he often takes the ball and runs when under duress.
Passing Skills
Quick Release/Mechanics 6.50 Jackson has a naturally quick release and can put a great amount of touch on the ball. He often displays his quick flick release that Mike Vick made famous at the NFL and collegiate levels. He often doesn’t put enough zip on his throws and doesn’t frequently step into his throws on intermediate and deep routes.
Delivery 5.50 Jackson often puts to much touch on the ball, when more zip is needed. He often doesn’t step into his throws, which lead to inaccurate passes. He has a strong arm and has the ability to make every throw on the field, but he needs to work on his mechanics.
Short Accuracy 6.50 Jackson has good vision and accuracy when throwing the ball short. He releases the ball quickly on slant patterns, and can often find his check down for easy short yardage pickups. He puts more zip on the ball when throwing the ball 5–10 yards down field, and can be found to step into these throws more consistently.
Intermediate Accuracy 6.00 Jackson has good touch on intermediate routes, but needs to work on routine throws over the middle, as he can miss throws he should complete. He often puts to much touch on these throws and needs to put more zip on the ball to effectively throw into tight windows.
Deep Accuracy 6.50 Jackson tends to keep his base extremely narrow, and often fails to step into his throws, which leads to over throws. When he steps into his throws, he has shown glimpses of perfectly placed balls deep down field. He puts tremendous touch on the ball, and doesn’t throw the ball into a crowd deep down field.
Big Play Ability 9.00 He is a big play waiting to happen. He is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands, and is a threat to run on any given snap. He often looks for running lanes when under pressure rather than keeping his eyes downfield, taking a run first mentality, which will need to change at the next level if he wants to be successful and remain durable. He has a big arm and opens the field with his athletic ability; He avoids pressure consistently and scramble for chunk gains.
Avoid Errors/Mistakes 6.00 He has a run first mentality when under pressure, and can be brought down behind the line for a loss. He can consistently avoid pressure, but he relies on his athletic ability, and can be caught forsaking the pass to try and gain yardage with his legs. His passing ability, footwork, and accuracy have all improved over this past season, but he needs to become a more consistent passer to succeed moving forward in his career.
Arm Strength 7.50 He has a strong arm, and it is evident he can make every throw on the field. He can throw the ball accurately down the field using just the flick of his wrist. The ball explodes from Jacksons hand when he steps into his throws. He does not always put zip on passes he should.
Footwork 5.50 Jackson needs to improve his footwork. He relies on his agility and quickness to escape from pressure, and often throws with a very narrow base and doesn’t step into his throws. He stands on the balls of his feet, but doesn’t slide or bounce when working through his progressions. Instead, he scrambles accelerating and avoiding the rush when on the move. He is a very capable pocket passer, but would improve his mechanics and accuracy with better footwork.
Competitiveness
Toughness 8.00 Jackson gets hit multiple times a game, as he runs for chunk gains and refuses to slide before contact. He has jumped up after each play, and fights for tough yardage continuously throughout a game. He is a very lanky player, and his frame and play style remain a concern to be durable as he enters the next level.
Intangibles/Leadership 7.50 Jackson is the leader on Louisville. His teammates look to him for guidance, and he always seems to keep them in the game until the end. He has shown some immaturity, losing his cool in the Clemson and Kentucky games this season. He is a very emotional player that gives his all on each play of the game. He has natural charisma, and has the ability to take command of his team and the game. Jackson is always looking for ways to improve. He is an extremely hard worker, and has shown a drastic improvement in his passing skills throughout each season.
Poise in Pocket 6.00 Jackson has the tendency to run away from pressure, rather than standing strong in the pocket and delivering throws. Jackson always tries to extend plays using his athleticism, and it often has him running into defenders. His athleticism allow him to avoid pressure, but he needs to keep his eyes downfield to find open receivers. He continues to have to much faith in his athleticism, and often takes the ball and scrambles rather than throwing the ball away when under pressure, or finding open receivers down field when the play has broken-down.
Consistency/Motor 7.00 He is highly efficient and consistent. He uses his athleticism to extend plays, and his legs to gain chunk yardage. He has good accuracy, but needs to throw with more zip. Jackson has the potential to be an extremely efficient passer at the next level, but he needs to work on stepping into his throws and keeping his eyes downfield.
Production 9.00 Jackson has been a highly productive play maker at the collegiate level. He has good arm strength and can make very throw on the field, and uses his athleticism to produce big plays on each drive. Jackson is a threat to pass or run and this opens the defense for Jackson to pick apart.
Improvisational Ability 9.00 He is extremely talented consistently buying second chance opportuinites, and gaining chunk yards.
Intelligence
Instincts 6.00 Jackson doesn’t always sense pressure, and can be found to leave the pocket early. He has a run first mentality, which will need to change to be successful at the next level. He is a naturally instinctive player, as he consitently gains yardage out of broken plays.
Blitz/Coverage Recognition 5.50 Jackson does not always pick up on blitzes and often scrambles before defenders have a chance to get to him. He has a knack for avoiding pressure, but can also be found running into defenders.
Decision Making 5.50 Jackson throws the ball with good touch and consistently places the ball where only his receiver can get it. When pressured, Jackson can scramble, and doesn’t keep his eyes downfield. He has a run first mentality that will need to change. He will often initiate contact in order to gain extra yardage., but to avoid injury, he will need to learn to slide. By taking less hits or his durability will remain a concern.
Learn/Retain 6.00 He is a bright kid, but it will be a difficult transition from Louisville’s read-option to a pro-style offense.
Strengths
Jackson is an explosive playmaker, capable of avoiding pressure, and gaining chunk yards at will. He displays rare athletic ability, agility, foot quick’s and balance to escape from pressure with ease. Jackson has explosive speed, and change of direction to break away on any play and turn negative yards into big plays downfield. He displays good vision and accuracy, and fires the ball out of his hand on quick slants, short crossing routes and skinny posts. Jackson has a naturally quick release, and shows remarkable touch on the ball. Jackson is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands, and acts as the ultimate dual-threat quarterback. He shows off a strong arm, able to throw the ball downfield just by the flick of his wrist. He is a very tough player continuously fighting for extra yards and refusing to hit the turf. Jackson often buys second chance opportunities, and can consistently beat defenders to the edge and turn up field. He shows his elusiveness and explosive burst to make defenders miss, and to fit through small creases to make big plays.
Weaknesses
Jackson is a very lanky player, and his frame and play style raise concerns regarding durability as he enters the next level. He fights for yards on each play and will need to slide more consistently to avoid injury risk and remain durable. Jackson often doesn’t put enough zip on intermediate and deep routes when he should allowing defenders to break up the pass. He needs to work on stepping into his throws, and firing the ball down field. He can fire the ball when striding into each throw aggressively; however, he remains inconsistent in this area. Jackson often displays a narrow base, and fails to slide his feet or bounce when working through his progressions. He can be found to leave the pocket early, and take the ball without looking downfield. He displays a run first play style that will need to be changed at the next level. He needs to learn to read coverage’s on a more consistent basis, and keep his eyes downfield after buying second chance opportunities. It will be difficult transition form Louisville’s read-option to a pro-style offense.
Big Picture
Jackson is a phenomenal athlete that resembles that of Mike Vick coming out of college. He is an explosive playmaker that is extremely elusive and agile. He has great touch on the ball, and a very strong arm that can make throws all over the field. He displays good vision and accuracy when working through his progressions, and is a threat whenever he touches the ball. He routinely makes defenders miss and avoids pressure, but he often rolls out of the pocket to early and can be caught from behind the line of scrimmage from. He has narrow base when throwing and fails to bounce his feet or slide in the pocket. He uses his athleticism to avoid pressure instead of perfecting his footwork. He doesn’t put enough zip on the ball consistently and often uses too much touch on intermediate and deep routes, which allows defenders to play the ball. When stepping into his throws, he has shown glimpses of perfectly placed balls down the sideline. Jackson remains a concern regarding his durability. He is very lanky and his play style will need to adapt to the next level, as he will need to slide and give himself up more frequently to avoid hits and possible injuries. Jackson is a leader on the field and is an extremely hard worker off. He improved his passing ability this past offseason and has a lot more room to grow and learn. Jackson is a very smart kid, but the transition from Louisville’s read-option to a pro-style offense may prove difficult. Given time to work on his footwork, and to learn an NFL offense, Jackson could make for an exciting and electric playmaker at the next level.
