Louisville's Lamar Jackson selected by Ravens with final pick of the first round of the NFL Draft
Ten years after drafting quarterback Joe Flacco the Baltimore Ravens hope they've found his successor.
In leading his last draft as the Ravens general manager before he steps aside after the 2018 season, Ozzie Newsome made one of his boldest moves. After already picking tight end Hayden Hurst with the 25th pick, the Ravens traded back into the first round to select Louisville’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson with the 32nd and final pick of the draft's first day.
“It was masterful the way it came down in the draft room tonight,” Newsome said.
The Ravens hosted Jackson on a pre-draft visit and they have been linked to the quarterback for several weeks. Still, the decision to take the former Louisville star surprised many and quickly became one of the biggest storylines on the first day of the draft.
By getting him with the 32nd pick, the Ravens will have a fifth-year option on Jackson.
In three seasons at Louisville, Jackson threw for 9,043 yards, 69 touchdown passes and 27 interceptions in 38 games. The fleet-footed quarterback rushed for 4,132 yards and 50 touchdowns. In his Heisman-winning sophomore season in 2016, Jackson accounted for 51 touchdowns and over 5,000 yards of total offense. He’s the only player to rush for at least 1,500 yards and pass for at least 3,500 in a season in Football Bowl Subdivision history and he did that in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
Jackson was the second Cardinal taken in the first round. With the 18th overall pick the Green Bay Packers drafted Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander.
The Packers are hoping Alexander is the playmaker they desperately need after another subpar year on defense. Alexander had a team-leading five interceptions as a sophomore in 2016. He only played in six games last season, starting five, after sustaining a knee injury.
Alexander was healthy at the NFL combine and turned some heads, running blazing 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash. At only 5-foot-11, Alexander has to use his speed to his advantage to beat bigger wide receivers. As a kick returner, Alexander had 20 returns for 210 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore.
This story was originally published April 27, 2018 at 12:15 AM with the headline "Louisville's Lamar Jackson selected by Ravens with final pick of the first round of the NFL Draft."