Grading a wild Lamar Jackson trade scenario: Could it happen?

All eyes around the NFL have been on the situation regarding the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson

A few months ago, Baltimore Ravens fans might not have thought it would get to this point. Lamar Jackson is a Raven, and the Ravens love him … right?

Somewhere along the way, a disconnect formed between Jackson and the front office. Head coach Jon Harbaugh has never shied away from his love and support for the quarterback. But, it’s the front office that isn’t necessarily sold on giving Jackson a fully-guaranteed deal.

Thus, Jackson went public with his trade request just a few days ago; a trade request that happened roughly a month ago, but stayed under wraps for a bit.

While all 32 teams are preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft and grading each and every available prospect in that pool, the elephant in the room remains: just where will Lamar Jackson be playing football in 2023?

A recent trade scenario would see the Baltimore Ravens move Lamar Jackson at an oddly inconvenient time

It would be in the Ravens’ best interest to try and trade Jackson before the draft, for obvious reasons. Baltimore would want draft compensation for this year. At least, that would be their best-case scenario.

Bleacher Report’s Christopher Knox finished off his most recent trade piece acknowledging what would be a wild scenario between the Ravens and Indianapolis Colts, giving off the notion that a trade could happen after the draft:

"“Between now and April 27, Ballard could decide that Jackson is a better option than any quarterback he’s going to land with the fourth overall pick. The Colts might be more inclined to make a move after the draft if they’re unwilling to part with the fourth overall selection and/or don’t find a quarterback they like at No. 4.“The Ravens could hold out for more than the two first-round picks by threatening to match Indianapolis’ offer sheet but offering to trade Jackson for additional compensation. If Indy stands to improve significantly—therefore making its 2024 and 2025 first-round picks low selections—Baltimore could want a little extra in the deal.”"

So, what would a trade look like under that context? Let’s try and take a stab at it.

In Knox’s original piece, he alludes to the fact that the Colts could take the best available player at no. 4 overall, which might end up being someone like Georgia’s Jalen Carter, Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon, among others.

Should the Colts get one of the top players in this year’s draft class, and additionally somehow have the chance to land Jackson, they’re going to be a much-improved team immediately.

That would mean Indianapolis could find themselves far from the top 10 in the coming drafts, giving Baltimore less incentive to deal him to the Colts. But, a pair of firsts, a second and a third could get it done.

Now, as for the trade grade? That’s tough. The Ravens might not be any good this year, short of finding a way to trade up and get one of this year’s top quarterbacks. But, 2023 could be a rough season for Baltimore. Assuming they find themselves in the top 10 of next year’s draft, plus have all of that extra capital to work with, this trade grades out as “fine,” to put it kindly.

The Ravens never wanted to be in this situation, to begin with, but Jackson’s injury history has forced the front office to act according to what they feel is right for the organization. With that in mind, this trade gets a fair mark.

Grade: C

The end result is all going to depend on just how the Ravens use that draft capital going forward. So, for now, it’s a “we’ll see,” and not a “slam dunk.”