Lamar Jackson’s NFL Draft stock can skyrocket vs. Clemson

2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson will look to impress NFL scouts in this week’s conference showdown against No. 3 Clemson.

The 2018 NFL Draft may one day be looked back at as the “Year of the Quarterback,” and one signal-caller who could see his draft stock rise with a great performance this week is Louisville QB and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, Lamar Jackson.

Although much of the talk of this quarterback class to start the year has centered around the likes of USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph, Jackson has a chance to supplant them all come next April if he’s able to show consistent improvement.

It’s hard to believe that a player who won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, accounting for 51 total touchdowns in the process, needs to prove themselves in the eyes of NFL scouts, but that’s exactly the situation Jackson finds himself in entering Saturday’s contest. One of the easiest ways to get scouts to take notice? Lead your team to a victory over a top-flight program, just as Jackson has the chance to do against Clemson.

Accuracy concerns, run-first quarterback?

One of the biggest knocks on Jackson’s game in the eyes of NFL scouts is undeniably his accuracy. Despite the gaudy touchdown numbers he posted during last season’s Heisman campaign, Jackson completed just 56.2 percent of his passes. For perspective, no quarterback selected in the first round of each of the last three drafts had a completion percentage under 60 percent.

Another factor of Jackson’s game that is seen as a detraction by some is his tendency over his career to scramble before fully going through his progressions. While no one should doubt his wizardry as a runner, opting to run before letting a play develop simply won’t work in the NFL, where Jackson’s athleticism and speed can be matched far more easily than in college. The speed of the game is vastly different at the NFL level, and teams who feel Jackson won’t feel comfortable enough in an NFL pocket will likely opt to pass on the Louisville star.

The ultimate playmaker and continued improvement

Not since Michael Vick at Virginia Tech or Vince Young at Texas have we seen a quarterback in college football as dynamic and flat-out fun to watch as Lamar Jackson. Just behold the beauty of this touchdown run in last week’s game against North Carolina.

https://twitter.com/JackMacCFB/status/906578727508828160

Decision-making? Check. Burst? Check. Ability to make a safety look completely lost? Double check.

But as we also saw in that game, Jackson has the ability to make the big-time, NFL-caliber throws down the field.

There are several aspects to that play in particular that should have NFL scouts salivating. First, Jackson comes off the play action with a rusher right in his face. Rather than panicking, he steps up in the pocket and leaves the blitzer in the dust. In previous years, Jackson may have looked to continue running but instead, he resets his feet in the pocket and delivers a perfect deep ball, with a lightning-fast release, down the field for the touchdown.

Jackson has steadily improved from year to year and is completing 64 percent of his passes. He has already accounted for 1,010 total yards and could very well be on his way to becoming the first two-time Heisman Trophy winner since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1974-75.

Biggest test of the season

It’s no secret that the eyes of the scouting community will be locked in on this Saturday’s showdown to see if Jackson has what it takes to succeed against NFL-caliber competition. Clemson’s defense has been an NFL factory under Dabo Swinney and they’ll look to stifle Jackson’s playmaking ability.

Last season’s contest between the two schools ended up as a 42-36 thriller and although Jackson rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns, he was not all that effective in the passing game. He’ll be facing a tremendous Clemson pass rush, led by likely top-10 pick, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, so it will be key for Louisville to give him enough time to make throws in the passing game for the Cardinals to have a chance to upset the Tigers.

But it’s more than Wilkins that makes the Clemson front special. Austin Bryant is coming off a four-sack game vs. Auburn, Clelin Ferrell makes splashy game-altering plays and true sophomore defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has the potential to be the top pick in next year’s draft. Clemson has the best defensive line in the country and if Jackson can find a way to exploit it, he’ll catch the attention of NFL talent evaluators.

Next: Heisman Watch: Week 3 - Quarterbacks rule

We’re nowhere near settling on just where Lamar Jackson may end up in the NFL, but if you’re a football fan, you owe it to yourself to watch one of the most electrifying playmakers in the game.