The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 9 atop the AFC North, in large part thanks to their quarterback. Lamar Jackson is having yet another wonderful season, and NFL Network’s Nick Shook recently named him the fourth-best passer in his quarterback rankings. Ahead of him are just Jalen Hurt, Tua Tagovailoa, and Patrick Mahomes.
Lamar Jackson Finishes Fourth in NFL Quarterback Rankings
The Rationale
Shook begins his justification for Jackson’s rank by discussing his most recent outing. Saying that he “returned to Earth” in what should have been an easy game against the Arizona Cardinals, the analyst still acknowledges that Jackson “pulled off the magic acts needed to move the Ravens into scoring position.”
This definitely wasn’t Jackson’s best game of the season, but Shook notes that it didn’t need to be. For the most part, the Ravens have lived and died with their quarterback, but that wasn’t the case in Week 8. “[F]or the first time all season, Jackson wasn’t quite needed to go win the game for Baltimore…He can thank Gus Edwards and a stout defense for the help while doing his job to produce a win.”
Shook is clearly impressed with Jackson’s season to date, but is such a high ranking justified? Quarterbacking across the league isn’t what it used to be, but there are still plenty of talented passers lighting up the box score each and every week. Is Jackson truly among the best of the best?
Where Should Lamar Jackson Land in Quarterback Rankings?
As of this posting, Lamar Jackson currently ranks 12th in EPA/play, fifth in PFF grade, and 13th in QBR. For those unfamiliar, EPA/play and QBR are production-based metrics, while PFF grades are based on film review. Basically, using these metrics, Jackson should rank in the 5-10 range, but stats don’t always tell the whole picture.
In what’s becoming something of a yearly trend, the Baltimore Ravens have not provided the best support system for Lamar Jackson. Mark Andrews is a stud and rookie Zay Flowers is living up to his draft hype, but the rest of the depth chart leaves something to be desired. Additionally, first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken is a clear upgrade from Greg Roman, but he’s not on the same level as guys like Kyle Shanahan, Andy Reid, and Mike McDaniel.
Basically, Lamar Jackson has an adequate supporting cast, but it’s not a grouping capable of artificially boosting his production. For instance, Tua Tagovailoa is a good quarterback, but his numbers are inflated thanks to the elite supporting cast of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and head coach Mike McDaniel.
Ultimately, four feels about right for Lamar Jackson in the quarterback rankings. He shouldn’t be ahead of Patrick Mahomes, but he belongs in the same general tier as guys like Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen. Personally speaking, I’d also put him ahead of Tagovailoa, but that’s nitpicking. The fact of the matter is that the Ravens have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and as long as he’s healthy, Baltimore will remain Super Bowl contenders.
Main Photo: Joe Camporeale – USA Today Sports
