Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson has been compared to a young Michael Vick by many people, including his own teammates. But former Ravens wideout Steve Smith has a more timely comp for the rookie: Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson.
Smith, who spent his final three seasons in the NFL in Baltimore, believes that much like Watson, whose playing style was questioned when he came into the league, Jackson is similarly capable of overcoming the perceived flaws in his game in time.
“[Jackson's] a guy that's shown year in and year out that is willing to hone his craft and improve upon whatever deficiencies he has, kind of like Deshaun Watson did when he was in Clemson. Every year they said he needs to be pocket present, and that's what he did. He needs to be more accurate, and that's what he's become. That's who he reminds me of, Deshaun Watson, a guy that can change an organization,” Smith said.
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The Texans actually held a private workout for Jackson before the draft. When asked about him, Watson said Jackson is one of, if not the best QB in this draft class.
It doesn’t seem as if Jackson will be able to make an immediate impact as a rookie as Watson did last season. Jackson will have to bide his time behind incumbent Joe Flacco before he gets his shot.
Obviously, Jackson still needs to work on fixing his flaws in order to get his shot as a starter. But he has already shown flashes of what he’s capable of this offseason. If he can continue to improve as Smith believes he can, it’s not hard to see Jackson join Watson on that list of the next wave of franchise quarterbacks in the not-to-distant future.
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