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Lamar Jackson not on board with talk of NFL position switch

By Brad Berreman

LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 11: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Louisville Cardinals throws a pass against the Virginia Cavaliers at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 11: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Louisville Cardinals throws a pass against the Virginia Cavaliers at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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There’s no denying how good Lamar Jackson was as a college quarterback, so he’s not happy with talk of an NFL position switch.

As usual, the quarterback position will be the top source of pre-draft talk and speculation. Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2016, then followed it up with comparable output as a junior this past season. So it was not a shock when Jackson followed through on speculation and officially declared for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Jackson’s perceived shortcomings as a passer and elite athleticism has invited talk he should switch positions at the next level. ESPN’s Bill Polian, a former general manager in the league, has gone so far as to say Jackson should play wide receiver due to his speed and running ability. A fairly slight build (211 pounds) also fuels the idea Jackson can’t play quarterback as a pro.

Clearly, and not surprisingly, Jackson has had enough of the talk he can’t play quarterback in the NFL.

"It is annoying because quarterback is all I played all my life,” Jackson told Andrea Adelson of ESPN. “People look at my legs and they see I can make big plays, but they don’t really see my arm, and I make big plays with my arm. I scored more touchdowns with my arm than my legs so …"

Jackson did account for more passing (69) than rushing (50) touchdowns over his three seasons at Louisville, which is expected for a quarterback who didn’t run an option offense in college. But he also improved his completion percentage each season, with a yards per attempt average of at least 8.5 in each of his final two seasons.

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The right NFL coaching staff can surely continue to foster Jackson’s improvement as a passer, and find ways to use what he brings as a runner. Time will tell if that comes to fruition, but Jackson will be a quarterback until further notice.

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