Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson took a slight step back in ESPN's Jeremy Fowler's annual positional rankings, falling one spot to No. 5. This dip in status comes despite receiving high praise for his 2025 performance from a rival defensive coach.
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Jackson, a three-time All-Pro, now sits behind Buffalo's Josh Allen, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, the Rams' Matthew Stafford, and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow in Fowler's top ten. While he's still in elite company, topping Dallas' Dak Prescott, the Chargers' Justin Herbert, New England's Drake Maye, Detroit's Jared Goff, and Chicago's Caleb Williams, that fall to No. 5 definitely raises eyebrows. You always want to climb, not fall, right? The competition at the top is absolutely brutal.A Rival Coach Just Dropped a Bomb About Jackson's Arm
But hold up a minute. A defensive coach, one who's clearly had to game plan against Jackson, gave some seriously impressive insight into his growth as a passer. This isn't simply generic praise, this is real talk from the trenches. The coach told Fowler, "What's so impressive is he has gotten better as a passer. He's more of a complete passer. It's impressive. I really didn't respect the passing game as much before in his career, but the last time we played him, he was much better. He can dice you up." That's a massive shift in perception coming from a guy whose literal job it is to stop him. What does this all mean for the upcoming season? Even with the slight dip in rankings, that kind of respect from a rival defensive mind is a huge vote of confidence in Jackson's evolution as a pure passer. If he keeps improving like that, No. 5 won't last long. You can bet other coaches are now watching closely to see how he "dices you up" in the coming games.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.