NFL Draft: Lamar Jackson’s situation

Carter Landis, Sports Editor

How does a guy who played two incredible years at quarterback, posted a 57% completion percentage, 9,043 yards, 69 touchdowns, just 27 interceptions, be asked to switch positions in the NFL? It seems that NFL scouts are lazily following a notorious path that has seen many QBs, who shared the same play style as former Louisville QB Lamar Jackson, be asked to switch positions when transitioning to the NFL.

Lamar Jackson made football look effortless at Louisville for two years. He stood confident in the pocket and threw countless dimes to his receivers, escaped the pocket and took off downfield for large gains when he needed to, and most of all, he won, winning 25 games in three years at Louisville.

The most important accolade of Jackson’s college career was winning the 2016 Heisman award. He was the most electrifying player in college football for the past two years. But one thing to note, he was, still is, and always should be, a quarterback. There is no need to have Jackson, who excelled at the position in college, switch positions at the next level, more than likely struggling with this change. How would this help him have more success in the NFL?

Is this just lazy scouting, or does it go deeper than football? Does the demand for Jackson to switch positions have something to do with racial profiling? It seems that just because Jackson is black, tall, and thin, he doesn’t fit the physical profile of a quarterback to these scouts. It’s ignorant.