The Baltimore Ravens made a splash when they traded up to select former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson with the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. It is safe to say that Jackson's journey to becoming a first-rounder did not come without its fair share of controversy.
Despite being one of the most talented quarterbacks in the draft, there were reports about teams wanting to select him as a wide receiver. Jackson said during an appearance on the Ravens podcast that a scout from the Los Angeles Chargers was the first one to ask about a potential position change:
“It was a Chargers scout who told me about it,” Jackson said. “He was the first one to come to me about it. I’m like, ‘What?’ He caught me off guard with it. I even made a face at first like, ‘What?’ I thought he was trying to be funny but he kept going with it. So it just became blown out of proportion.
Needless to say, it had lingering effects on Jackson's draft prospects from that moment on. In order to avoid being typecast as a receiver, he refused to run the 40-yard dash or any other agility drills that would have furthered the notion of him potentially switching positions.
Fortunately, Jackson was able to stick to his guns and it worked out for him after being selected by Baltimore as the heir apparent to quarterback Joe Flacco. However, that does not mean the Ravens have ruled out using him in other ways for his upcoming rookie campaign. Jackson will likely be utilized as a wideout or running back for a number of packages in a Baltimore offense that is starving for playmakers. First and foremost, he will need to focus on securing the backup job over quarterback Robert Griffin III.
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