Pundit Believes Best Version of Lamar Jackson Is Yet to Come

In six seasons, Lamar Jackson has won multiple MVPs and shattered NFL records. But as he reaches his prime years of athleticism, ESPN’s Freddie Coleman says we’ve yet to see the best version of the Ravens’ signal caller, and co-host Harry Douglas agreed.

“I still don’t think we’ve seen the best Lamar Jackson yet,” Coleman said.

“But that doesn’t mean he’s not in his prime, though,” Douglas added. “We just haven’t seen Jackson at the heights of his prime. I’ll be honest with you; I don’t think we’ve even seen 75-percent of Lamar Jackson.”

If Jackson’s at only 75 percent of his true capabilities, the NFL would be in for a harsh awakening as he’s already been dominant.

But Coleman noted the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes still loom.

“I can’t wait to see exactly how that’s going to look because unlike with what Cam Newton had to deal with, Lamar Jackson’s in the world of Patrick Mahomes. When you got that king of the hill that you have to deal with,” Coleman said. “We’re sort of in a different golden age of quarterbacks where you got so many dudes that are either elite quarterbacks or on the come-up. … But in the land of Mahomes, you can be born at the wrong time. And if you’re Lamar Jackson, you know that each and every year, as much as you’re getting close to your prime, so is that dude in Kansas City.”

There have been numerous offseason lists highlighting the young talent on the Ravens roster. Now, 33rd Team’s Jeff Diamond gives love to the veterans, highlighting the best players over age 30, and two Ravens made the list.

20. Justin Tucker

“The NFL record holder for career field goal percentage (90.2% made) and longest field goal (66 yards) is the only special team player on the list,” Diamond wrote. “Justin Tucker made his fifth straight Pro Bowl team last season (seventh overall) and he’s an eight-time All-Pro. Tucker was undrafted in 2012 when he joined the Ravens and has spent his entire career in Baltimore.”

7. Derrick Henry

“After his outstanding eight-year career with the Tennessee Titans as their second-round pick in 2016, Derrick Henry will try to reach his first Super Bowl as Lamar Jackson’s backfield mate in Baltimore following his free agent signing with the Ravens,” Diamond wrote. “Henry is coming off a 2023 season with 1,167 rushing yards (despite teams loading the box against him as the Titans broke in rookie QB Will Levis). King Henry is a big, physical runner who scored 12 TDs on the ground and added 28 receptions for 214 yards in 2023. He made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time and has been named All-Pro twice. Henry has led the league in rushing twice including his best season in 2020 when he ran for 2,027 yards (and 17 TDs).”

When it comes to the best in NFL history, multiple Ravens have an argument to be atop the rest at their respective position. Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed is one of those players, but 33rd Team’s Ian Valentino named Reed No. 2, behind the San Francisco 49ers’ Ronnie Lott.

“The best safety of the last 25 years is an easy call. Ed Reed embodies the perfect modern safety, boasting legendary football IQ, closing speed, ball-hawking instincts, and playmaking,” Valentino wrote. “In 12 seasons, he made nine Pro Bowls and five First-Team All-Pro teams, won a Super Bowl, earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, and made the All-2000s Team. … Reed’s presence was unforgettable. Even Bill Belichick marveled at the ‘best play I have seen a free safety make.’ He manipulated quarterbacks in ways we’ve never seen a defender manage before.”

Lott has publicly credited Reed for his accomplishments and how he was superior after intercepting the ball. In an interview with Sportsnaut’s Rich Salgado in January 2021, Lott poured praise on Reed’s intellect and scoring ability.

“But when you say Ed Reed, and I told Ed this, watching him play, arguably the best offensive-minded defensive player. Meaning, when he got a chance to catch the ball, he was scoring,” Lott said. “And he constantly forced the offense by putting pressure on them, knowing that any time he could get an interception, he was going to make them pay for it and make them pay by scoring. So, to me, I’ve always felt like he’s one of the best ever. So, I would rank him a little bit higher due to the fact that, man, what he did in terms of putting points on the board.”

A position up for grabs this season for the Ravens is their starting kick returner competition, with free agent addition Deonte Harty and returning players Justice Hill and Tylan Wallace. The new NFL kickoff will be a test for all hoping to earn their role and for that reason, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin named the Ravens’ kick return competition as one of the top training camp battles in 2024.

“Special teams will have a renewed focus in 2024, with the NFL re-incentivizing kick returns under totally revamped rules,” Benjamin wrote. “Harty is an accomplished return man from his days with the New Orleans Saints, while Hill is fresh off a 2023 campaign in which he logged a career-high 712 all-purpose yards.”

Harty enters as the favorite, as the Ravens signed him with the intention of being their return threat. But it won’t be an easy competition, as Hill’s delivered solid numbers in the past two seasons, averaging 32.2 yards on 13 returns. Harty returned only seven kicks since 2022 due to teams opting for a touchback rather than giving Harty a chance to gash them.