2018 NFL Draft: How Far Will Quarterback Lamar Jackson Fall?

Every year has that one quarterback most would think goes early but ends up falling. Don’t expect the 2018 NFL draft to be any different.

Prior to last year, most were convinced that DeShone Kizer was destined for the 1st round. When the dust settled the Notre Dame alum went to Cleveland in the 2nd round. He lasted a year as the starter and has since been traded to Green Bay as Aaron Rodgers’ backup. Clearly, some teams misfired in their evaluations of him. Could the same end up being true for Louisville standout Lamar Jackson?

Thus far he hasn’t made the best impressions with the media or teams in general during the pre-draft process. His refusal to run the 40-yard dash at either the scouting combine or his pro day is bothersome to many, and it’s not helped by the fact that communication with him has proven challenging over the past couple months. Mike Mayock of NFL Network explained the problem.

Jackson should be reminded that teams are not going to keep players who are difficult high on their boards, no matter how talented they might be. This is especially true for him.

Jackson still hasn’t made enough believers that he’s an NFL QB

He mustn’t forget that he’s already battling against the growing perception that he’s merely a wide receiver trying to masquerade as a quarterback. Of course, there are some teams who don’t think that’s true but Jackson’s unwillingness to even do wide receiver drills isn’t going to help his draft stock either. He’s basically made it quarterback or bust at this point and the fact his visit schedule and first impressions have gone so poorly don’t add up to favorable results.

He’s already fighting against four other quarterbacks expected to go ahead of him in the 1st round alone. If he’s not careful teams may decide to pass on him for some of the second tier names as well. If Kizer could fall to the 2nd round, is not even close to a stretch that the same could happen to Jackson, perhaps even worse. He could easily slip out of the top 50 and maybe even into the 3rd round if the board breaks a certain way next month.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: The Quarterback Double Down Arrives

That’s how unforgiving the process can be when you even make one minor mistake. Maybe Jackson can sway some people during his interview, but it’s looking more and more like his hopes of being a 1st round pick are fading away.