Lamar Jackson could very well be the steal of this year’s quarterback draft class, and he could get selected into an ideal situation.
One name that everyone is going to keep an eye on at the NFL Draft is Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. While many believe he’s the best quarterback in the draft, he’s supposed to slide to at least the latter half of the first round — perhaps the second.
That’s good news for teams with established quarterbacks in need fo finding a plan for the future. Most of them are picking in the late-teens and into the 20s.
Assuming Lamar Jackson indeed slips in the draft and doesn’t get picked by Arizona, Miami, or Buffalo, let’s take a look at the most ideal anding spots for him.
Why It Works: Since before the Super Bowl, there were rumors bouncing around that the New Orleans Saints were super into the idea of trading up for Baker Mayfield. At that point, Mayfield was someone that we thought would be taken later in the first round, which has obviously changed.
The consensus on Lamar Jackson, however, hasn’t. New Orleans is in the category of teams needing to find an heir apparent to their franchise quarterback and that hasn’t changed just because Baker is gone. Jackson potentially provides an even better solution to the problem of what to do when Drew Brees walks away. He has the mobility that the Saints loved in Baker but packs in so much more atheltiscim. Taking the tools Jackson has and letting Brees hone them is a dangerous throught for anyone hoping to stop New Orleans in the years to come. Think about having to plan for Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, then having to worry about Jackson as an x-factor.
Why It Won’t: Linebacker and defensive line is a major area of need for the Saints, specificially the latter. A big reason the Saints went on the run they did last year was because they drafted so strong, and sacraficing an area of need to take Jackson is a gamble for the future. The SAints could very well go to the Super Bowl next year and hitting in the right rookie could solidify that. Marshon Lattimore was a stud, and taking a linebacker of that same ilk could be more attractive than taking Jackson.