Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson 'Looking at Guys' Ahead of NFL Draft, John Harbaugh Reveals
By Harrison Reno
With Lamar Jackson tied down to the five-year, $260 million contract extension he signed last offseason and being fresh off his second league MVP-winning season, the Baltimore Ravens are keeping him involved in their future plans. In fact, Jackson is pulling double duty this offseason as he is scouting potential future teammates in the upcoming NFL Draft, as revealed by Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
"He is looking at guys now," Harbaugh said recently, according to ESPN. "He and I agree on a few guys. We haven't disagreed on anybody yet. We're sharing our vision together."
As ESPN puts it, being a full-time quarterback and “part-time scout” isn’t anything new for the reigning MVP. He played this role last offseason for the Ravens, scouting receivers from the South Florida region. That is where Jackson found last year’s first-round pick, Zay Flowers.
"He has strong opinions on all these guys, too," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said last offseason when speaking of Jackson’s role in the scouting process. "He's very loyal to the players from that part of the country and so he has a lot of opinions on Zay. He was very, very excited that we got him."
Flowers, the former Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native by way of Boston College, repaid Jackson’s faith from the pre-draft process with a promising rookie season. Flowers played in 16 games, all of which as a starter, and led the team in receiving with 858 yards and five touchdowns on 77 receptions.
While Jackson’s involvement once again in the pre-draft evaluation process doesn’t necessarily mean the Ravens will use their No. 30 overall pick to add another piece offensively, it certainly doesn’t hurt that chance.
Both receiver and offensive tackle stand out as big needs for the Ravens this offseason after losing last year’s addition of Odell Beckham Jr. to free agency. They suffered similar attrition upfront, with Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson signing elsewhere, while they traded Morgan Moses.
So, whether the Ravens select a receiver or offensive lineman, it seems safe to say that Jackson will have evaluated his future teammate.