Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is one of the most electrifying players in the NFL. When he has been healthy, as he has been this season, the Ravens are among the most dominant teams in the league.
Jackson has Baltimore in a position to not only earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC but finish the 2023 season with the best record in the NFL. To earn that distinction, they need to handle business in Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins, who are one game behind the 12-3 Ravens at 11-4.
It will be a chance for Jackson and the Ravens to exact some revenge after Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins had a wild comeback against them in the 2022 season, resulting in a 42-38 victory in a game Baltimore led by as many as 21 points in the second half.
NFL News & Rumors: Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, 2024 NFL Draft, Baltimore Ravens Updates
Should the Ravens win on Sunday afternoon, Jackson will likely cement his status as the league’s MVP for the 2023 season. Right now, he is the odds-on favorite to win the award; clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC would only make his case stronger.
It would be the second MVP award for Jackson, who took it home during the 2019 season, his first full season as the team’s starting quarterback. Finding a player of his caliber to play the position is something every team in the NFL aims to accomplish.
Teams in search of a franchise quarterback are hoping that their void can be filled in the 2024 NFL Draft. Coincidentally, one of the prospects has drawn comparisons to the Ravens’ superstar signal caller. In the opinion of ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller, Jayden Daniels out of LSU has a comp of Jackson.
“The Heisman Trophy winner was the most improved player in college football in 2023. He entered the season with a Day 3 grade from NFL scouts but put together a 50-touchdown campaign (40 passing, 10 rushing) with just four interceptions. Daniels is not only the draft’s best deep-ball thrower — he had a 99.6 QBR targeting vertical routes — he’s also the most dangerous runner among the quarterbacks. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder had 3,812 passing yards and 1,134 rushing yards this season. With a strong pre-draft process, QB2 status is not out of the question,” wrote Miller.
NFL News & Rumors: Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, 2024 NFL Draft, Baltimore Ravens Updates
Coming into the 2023 season, Daniels was not on the Heisman radar or many draft boards of NFL teams. But, his stellar performance with the Tigers has him squarely in the mix to be selected near the top of the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Whoever selected Daniels is getting an incredible athlete for the position who has made major strides in the passing department. You don’t produce the kind of stats in which Daniels has by accident, as he is a true dual-threat quarterback.
While some evaluators may like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye more as prospects, Daniels has the kind of skill set that can lead to immediate success in the NFL. If he can replicate what Jackson has done with the Ravens as his comp, Daniels is going to make a franchise very happy.
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