NFL Notes: Draft, Lamar Jackson, Titans

Draft

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media has already been taking a look at some of the notable players who could enter the 2018 NFL Draft in his “first look” series. Jeremiah offers great breakdowns of each player and includes NFL comps based on what he sees and has heard from others.

Here are some of Jeremiah’s NFL comps for these prospects:

• Jeremiah considers USC QB Sam Darnold to be a “special talent” and believes he has a lot of similarities to Andrew Luck when Luck was at Stanford. Jeremiah notes that Darnold and Luck both have a similar frame and athleticism and seem to step up in big moments.
• According to Jeremiah, Florida State S Derwin James is a “wow player” who seemingly makes splash plays in nearly every game. Jeremiah mentions that James as a unique physical skill set and believes he could develop into a faster, more athletic version of Kam Chancellor.
• Jeremiah thinks Wyoming QB Josh Allen offers the highest ceiling of any of the top quarterback prospects and thinks he looks like a more athletic version of Joe Flacco. Jeremiah does say that Allen will need to develop his touch on passes play more efficiently overall, but he’s already “way ahead” of Chiefs first-round pick Patrick Mahomes from a development standpoint.

Lamar Jackson

Michael Vick recently offered some high praise for Louisville QB Lamar Jackson, saying that Jackson appears to be as close to his skill set as any player he’s ever seen.

“If I’ve ever seen another guy that looks like me, it’s been Lamar Jackson,” Vick told the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Vick says he’s told Jackson that the most important thing for him is to simply focus on the upcoming year and not get too far ahead of himself.

“When I speak to Lamar, I tell him the most important thing he can do is just focus on having a big year this year and making sure he’s prepared and ready to go,” Vick said. “He can’t think about the next level yet. Even though I think he has NFL potential, he has to get through this season and have a good one.”

Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award and was a unanimous All-American as a sophomore last year. However, some have questioned whether Jackson’s success will translate at the NFL level.

Titans

• While free agent LB Zach Orr has reportedly heard from half of NFL teams (NFLTR) since he decided to unretire, Terry McCormick reports that the Titans have not reached out to him about a potential visit.
• We have Orr featured in our Top 50 Available Free Agents list.