Lamar Jackson goes to the Baltimore Ravens

The Cincinnati Bengals brought in Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson but showed little interest. Now they will be seeing him inside the division.

The Cincinnati Bengals gave some fans the impression that they were considering taking Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. Bringing in Jackson for a top 30 pre-draft visit, the quarterback controversy among fans began. It was highly unlikely that the Bengals were looking to seriously draft Jackson but more so doing their due diligence on the young quarterback.

Jackson was there when the Bengals made their selection at 21 and they passed on him for Ohio State center Billy Price. Bolstering the offensive line was much more important than bringing in a round one quarterback that would divide the locker room and fan base. The Louisville product fell to the very end of the first round where the Philadelphia Eagles traded away their first-round selection to the Baltimore Ravens where they selected Jackson.

This was not a huge surprise as many fans and analysts had the Ravens selecting Jackson at their original first round pick sitting at 16. Baltimore traded back in the first round and ended up selecting tight end Hayden Hurst out of South Carolina at pick 25. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is signed through 2021 but there was absolutely no way the Ravens were going to keep that contract with the level of play they’ve received from their quarterback.

Instead, Baltimore is moving on from Flacco likely after the 2018 season and beginning their future with Lamar Jackson. Cincinnati bringing in Jackson was a chance for the team to look at a quarterback they will be playing twice a year in the future. Getting a head start at looking at Jackson before he becomes the starter for their divisional rival.