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Michael Vick, a man who knows a thing or two about being a dual-threat quarterback, looks at Lamar Jackson and can’t believe NFL scouts didn’t see his greatness.
Although the Ravens’ Jackson is on a record-breaking pace while establishing himself as an MVP frontrunner, Vick is still stunned teams weren’t sold on him as a quarterback coming out of Louisville. There was talk among some teams that Jackson would be a better fit at receiver or even as a punt returner.
“If you are a scout, if you are in player personnel and you (put) on he film and watch Lamar Jackson in college, how could you even think he should be a receiver?” Vick said on the Rich Eisen Show.
Sure, Jackson came into Sunday’s game against the 49ers needing just 124 yards to join Vick as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. But he’s also thrown 24 touchdown passes and is heating up through the air — he has completed 76 percent of his passes (6-of-84) for 777 yards with 13 touchdown and no interceptions in Baltimore’s last three games.
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Sunday that a couple of NFL general managers have been so surprised at Jackson’s ascent as a quarterback they are looking at their old scouting reports to see which of their scouts missed so badly on Jackson.
Vick was the No. 1 overall pick by Atlanta in the 2001 draft, but he believes Jackson was even better than he was in college. Now Vick sees a quarterback who may have no limits.
“Oh, man. I just see excitement. I see a guy who’s dynamic in his own right,” Vick said about watching Jackson. “He plays the position from a cerebral standpoint. And then when the defense breaks down, he makes ’em pay.
“I think he could be the MVP this season. The sky’s the limit for this guy.”
