Lamar Jackson only sees quarterback, not wide receiver, in his NFL future

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was the day that the top five quarterbacks in a loaded draft class were supposed to walk out and speak about their hopes and concerns, but all the buzz about Lamar Jackson was about whether he was ultimately going to become something else.

Reports had come out through FOX Sports earlier in the day about how some teams wanted to work the Louisville quarterback out as a wide receiver in the drills. It followed a notion that had lingered in Indianapolis throughout the week, dating back to when former Colts and Bills general manager Bill Polian suggested that that's the position Jackson should play at the next level.

But it was as baffling to the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner as to anyone else when he finally got his chance to speak.

"I'm not going to be a wide receiver at all," he said. "I'm shocked.

"Whoever would like me at quarterback, that's where I'm going. That's my position."

Jackson made for a great one at Louisville, where he threw 57 touchdowns to just 19 interceptions his final two years and won the nation's most prestigious individual award as just a sophomore. He was an electrifying dual-threat quarterback, throwing for 7,203 yards and rushing for 3,172 yards over his final two seasons.

That electrifying speed, mixed with some questions about his 57-percent career completion rate, have led to speculation about getting on the field somewhere else. Some around the league have rejected that opinion, as Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and Chiefs coach Andy Reid both said they see Jackson as a quarterback.

Some analysts who do see him that way, like ESPN's Todd McShay, still suggest that he could get on the field as a rookie at a skill position while he's developing his passing behind the scene.

Jackson wasn't of a fan of that idea either.

"No wildcat," he said. "This is not the Dolphins with Ronnie Brown and Rickie Williams."

Jackson answered almost every question with a chuckle and sprinkled in his own jokes along the way. He took a jovial approach to the questions that stir controversy in other arenas, as he sidestepped one about the racial undertones of asking him to switch positions and not Josh Allen, a white quarterback who had a worse completion rate at Wyoming.

Jackson measured 6 feet 3 inches, so he has he requisite height. His arm is considered one of the strongest in the class. He played in a Louisville offense designed by former Falcons coach Bobby Petrino with plenty of pro concepts. And he's shown on many times to use his speed to extend a play in order to throw rather than looking to run.

Entering the combine, Jackson was considered the fifth-best quarterback prospect behind USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Wyoming's Josh Allen, all of whom are vying to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Browns. Jackson has been projected as a first- or second-round pick, though team fits are a mystery with the kind of playing style he enjoys.

It's not too dissimilar from DeShaun Watson's outlook a year ago, when teams questioned Clemson's national championship quarterback in the style of passer he'd be at the next level. Watson ended up as the third quarterback selected, going 12th overall to the Texans. He erupted for 21 touchdowns in just seven games as a runaway Rookie of the Year favorite before tearing his ACL.

Houston evolved its offense around the dual-threat nature of Watson, and that's likely what Jackson's team will want to do, at least when he's ready to become a starter. Organizations that run heavy run-pass-option concepts similar to the ones Eagles and Chiefs have successfully run could be a fit. One such team that fits that mold and needs a quarterback is the Vikings.

Wherever he goes, Jackson doesn't want quarterback to be a part-time job. He knows what he is by now.

"I thought I did a good job at quarterback," he said. "I thought I did."

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