Louisville Football: Projections for Cardinals in the 2018 NFL Draft
By Jacob Lane
Lamar Jackson – QB
There’s not much that has to be said about how good Lamar Jackson was in college. The question when it comes to the 2x ACC player of the year, and 2016 Heisman Trophy Winner is can he take his skills that were successful in college and translate them to the NFL? He is a dynamite passer with rare arm talent, who has skills that you just can’t teach. It seems that Jackson has locked up his spot in the first round of the draft, now it’s just about where he falls. Can he get in the top 10? If the other four QB’s ranked above him go, then I think someone will trade up and select him. However, if those QB’s drop, expect Jackson to fall.
Strengths:
- Strong Arm
- Instinctive passer
- Elusive, hard to sack
- Once in a lifetime athlete
- Field vision
- Ability to learn nuances of an offense
- Great ball placement for receivers on the run
- Ability to extend players
- Throwing on the run
Needs Improvement:
- Accuracy
- Thin frame (skinny knees)
- Tendency to try and extend plays with his legs, instead of throwing the ball away
- Footwork
Projections:
WalterFootball: Rounds 1-2
NFL.com: Rounds 1-2
DraftWire: Round 1