Bill Belichick remembers Patriots’ pre-draft visit with Lamar Jackson
FOXBORO — In the spring of 2018, the Patriots were coming off a second straight Super Bowl appearance and rostered the reigning league MVP in Tom Brady. But that didn’t stop them from heavily scouting quarterbacks ahead of the draft, like future Ravens star Lamar Jackson.
The Patriots hosted Jackson on one of their 30 pre-draft visits in Foxboro, where the future MVP met with Bill Belichick among other key staffers. Days ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Baltimore, Belichick was asked what he remembered about that visit.
“Great visit, spent a lot of time with him,” Belichick said Wednesday. “Really interesting guy.”
Former director of player personnel Nick Caserio attended Jackson’s Pro Day workout at Louisville. It was reported that Jackson intrigued the Patriots, who also had interest in future No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, but they were reluctant to redesign their entire offense around him. So, the front office passed over Jackson twice in the first round to draft offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn at 23rd overall and running back Sony Michel at No. 31, then Brady led the Pats to their sixth Super Bowl title the following February.
In his second season, and first as a starter, Jackson won MVP after passing for more than 3,100 yards, rushing for more than 1,200 and scoring 43 total touchdowns in the regular season. Through two weeks this year, he’s completed 64.1% of his passes for 531 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. Asked if Jackson has answered pre-draft questions about his ability to win and throw from the pocket, Belichick gave a resounding yes on Wednesday.
“Without a doubt. That’s the type of player that’s an MVP-type of candidate,” Belichick said. “I think he’s more than answered them.”
In two career games against the Patriots, Jackson has completed 72% of his passes for 412 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He’s also rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. His Ravens beat Brady and the Patriots 37-20 midway through the 2019 season, then the Pats pulled a 23-17 home upset against Baltimore amid heavy rains in Oct. 2020.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/90B7v1e
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