2018 NFL mock draft: Jaguars pick Lamar Jackson according to NFL Network

The Lamar Jackson to the Jacksonville Jaguars hype train is real amongst mock draft analysts. The NFL Network’s Charles Davis released his Mock Draft 1.0 and penciled in Jackson’s name at pick No. 29, which belongs to the Jaguars.

There will be plenty of breakdowns of his game, but smart OCs will figure out ways to “meet him halfway” by utilizing concepts/schemes that play to his strengths (and can hurt defenses). A beyond-exciting playmaker who feels he has something to prove.

I think Davis sums it up pretty accurately here. Jackson is kind of a wild card in terms of what you may get from him. There are concerns about his ability to learn NFL playbooks, as his struggles to study Louisville’s playbook were well documented. But then something happened, he got a grasp on it and became a superstar at the collegiate level.

There is no denying Jackson’s athletic ability, speed, explosiveness and play-making ability. Sure, he may struggle to learn offensive concepts, is inaccurate and is somewhat thin, but the talk of making Jackson a wide receiver is asinine. He is a Heisman-winning quarterback who could very well be a first round selection.

Jackson, who is originally from Florida, is not a player I would want starting in his first year in the league, but I think he is a player who can really benefit from sitting behind Blake Bortles a year, while learning the offense and adjusting to life in the NFL.

I am a proponent of keeping Bortles on the roster, drafting a quarterback in the first three rounds and letting said rookie QB learn and wait for his turn. Let Bortles open 2018 as the starter — he’s earned that in my opinion — and if he struggles or gets injured, there is a contingency plan. So, while I would prefer a receiving tight end or guard at pick No. 29 (depending on what happens in free agency), I would be fine if the Jags pulled the trigger on Jackson.

Davis, who you may know as one of the voices of the current “Madden” video game, or as a Fox NFL analyst, had six quarterbacks go in his first mock draft attempt. Jackson was the last of the six to be selected, with Sam Darnold (No. 1, Cleveland Browns), Josh Rosen (No. 5, Denver Broncos), Baker Mayfield (No. 6, New York Jets), Josh Allen (No. 13, Washington Redskins) and Mason Rudolph (No. 21, Buffalo Bills) all flying off of the board.

The NFL.com staff seems to love the Jackson to the Jacksonville Jaguars narrative (nice alliteration at the very least). In addition to Davis, fellow analysts Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein have mocked the Louisville signal-caller to Duval.

It’s just speculation season at this point, with the NFL Scouting Combine near. Assuming this move isn’t for the present, would you be okay with it? Let us know.