The Baltimore Ravens are among the league's most well-balanced and well-run teams and they seem to be headed in the direction of making quarterback Lamar Jackson the face of the franchise. Jackson is a great athlete, that much is for sure, but he his work cut out for him ahead of the 2019 season.
While Jackson is a dangerous dual-threat, he'll need to do a lot of work in regards to his passing game and becoming the leader the team needs him to be.
Let's dive in and take a look at three improvements Jackson must make to take the next step in 2019.
3. Throwing Accuracy
Considering the league leader in passing percentage in 2018 was New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees at 73.7 percent, Jackson's 58.2 completion percentage left a lot to be desired, although game schemes didn't necessarily require Jackson to pass very often, as he only threw 170 times across 16 games.
In Jackson's lone playoff appearance, he completed 14 of 29 passes and looked completely out of sorts against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jackson has arm strength and has shown flashes of accuracy, but odds are it does not happen as much as the team's coaches and front office would like to see. The organization drafted Jackson in the first round for a reason and traded Joe Flacco away to ensure the trust the team is instilling in their young quarterback. All signs point in the direction that Jackson is the man in Baltimore for the foreseeable future, so hopefully all of his mechanics will start coming together.
2. Establish Connection with Receivers
It's difficult to say which receiver Jackson preferred considering how much the team's offense operates through run plays. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree is no longer with the team and it looks like John Brown will likely play 2019 and beyond elsewhere. For now, Jackson can only control his own game, but as the new season approaches the young quarterback has to be a little worried in regards to the lack of weapons around him.
As Jackson works on his mechanics and gains further comfortability, when the team does acquire some pass-catchers for him he'll need to make building a relationship with his receivers a priority. It's likely the Ravens will do their best to not rely so heavily on Jackson's running ability and use him more as a passer.
The offseason will be a good time for Jackson to get close with his receivers in order to build a rapport and trust in one another.
1. Leadership
It's abundantly clear the Ravens are all in on Jackson, so from here on out he's going to need to find his voice and make it known that he is the new leader of the team. The team drafted Jackson because of his insane athleticism and big play capability, but he'll need to gain a sense of leadership if he is going to replace a Super Bowl winning quarterback.
Jackson possesses all the tools to be a great player in the league, but he'll need to learn how to be a leader on his own.
The coaching staff for the Ravens is among the best in the league, but it's not likely they can teach Jackson the leadership he needs to become the team's starting quarterback for the future. Jackson's age offers the the team a lot of ability to mold and fine-tune his game and he possesses a lot of fantastic mature attributes as he has displayed in interviews and press conferences in the past.
If Jackson can make these three improvements, the Ravens are going to be tough to beat in 2019.
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