Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson still has some skeptics to win over in 2024.
As the build-up to the 2024 NFL season continues, various player rankings have shown that Jackson is considered an elite quarterback. But he's not quite at the top.
This has been made clear numerous times now.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler polled executives, coaches, and scouts on the top players at each position. Jackson finished fourth among quarterbacks, trailing Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen
CBS's Pete Prisco ranked his top 100 NFL players — Jackson finished 16th overall and fourth among quarterbacks. Jackson trailed Mahomes, Allen, and Burrow.
Even in an imaginary NFL redraft from NFL.com's Chad Reuter, Jackson was the fourth pick — trailing Mahomes, Burrow, and Allen.
Among the rankings we've come across, the only one not to rank Jackson behind Allen and Burrow was Pro Football Focus. Jackson ranked second among QBs, thought in the "elite" tier alongside Allen and Burrow. Mahomes was ranked first and in his own tier.
It's understandable that Jackson consistently falls behind Mahomes. Why Jackson consistently ranks below Allen and Burrow requires a bit more digging. The belief may be that Jackson isn't as talented of a pure passer as those two. Jackson's passing game made strides in 2023 and should continue in 2024, but he does not have a season with over 4,000 passing yards as those two do. Of course, Burrow and Allen don't run as much as Jackson.
Jackson has two MVPs to his name, while Burrow and Allen do not. However, Burrow has led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl. And while Allen's Buffalo Bills haven't made the AFC Championship yet, Allen's passing numbers have been better than Jackson's in the playoffs.
Jackson's playoff record has increasingly come under fire and been scrutinized this offseason. It seems as if he'll need to lead the Ravens on a deep playoff run to elevate his standing around the league.
