The growing feeling among NFL experts is that quarterback Lamar Jackson is set to be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round, likely between pick 12 (Buffalo Bills) and pick 22 (also Buffalo Bills). Bengals Bills Lamar Jackson NFL rumors are growing as the two middle of the road AFC teams are in need for a franchise quarterback. ESPN’s Mel Kiper had the Bills grabbing Jackson with the 22nd overall in his latest NFL Mock Draft and Bills general manager Brandon Beane has been high on him for awhile.
“[Jackson] is a special athlete,” Beane told NYUpstate.com’s Matthew Fairburn. “He really is. I understand why people say (he should switch to wide receiver) because they’ve seen guys convert that are special athletes. I still think he’s going to get a chance to prove that he can play quarterback. I think he’s earned that right. He won the Heisman doing that. I think he’s going to get every chance to prove that before he ever looks at a position change.”
Other teams drafting in that range are the Bengals, Chargers and Cardinals. Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms believes that one of those three teams will scoop up the former Louisville star.
“The Bengals the Chargers and the Cardinals. Those are the three teams I think would be good fits for Lamar Jackson,” Simms said. “Andy Dalton should be threatened, certainly. But I don’t think he should be threatened when it comes to the 2018 season. It’s going to be how far along Jackson is when it comes to being used to the NFL game, and being ready to execute an NFL offense in Week 1. But it makes a lot of sense (for Jackson to go to the Bengals). I mean, this kid is electric. He could be a superstar. He’s definitely a top 20 pick in my eyes. It makes sense too that it’s Cincinnati, it’s close to Louisville, Kentucky. He could be a very unifying player for that region of the country.
“His ceiling is probably the highest in the draft.”
A year ago at this time, Deshaun Watson had the highest ceiling in the draft. It’s quite likely that Jackson will wind up being this year’s Watson – a steal having not been drafted in the top 10.
