NFL prospects routinely are compared to pro players as part of their scouting profile.
It’s one thing for a member of the media to say a certain player reminds him or her of a pro player. It’s quite another thing when that player draws the comparison to himself.
Michael Vick said that Louisville’s Lamar Jackson is the quarterback who reminds him the most of himself since he played at Virginia Tech.
“If I’ve ever seen another guy that looks like me, it’s been Lamar Jackson,” Vick told the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Jackson threw for 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2016. He also ran for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Vick was chosen first overall in the 2001 NFL draft. He played for 13 years and made four Pro Bowls. He could have played for 15 years if he didn’t spend two years in jail for his role in a dogfighting ring.
Some people never will forgive Vick for that, but he at least seems to be taking another step in his maturation process by acting as sort of a mentor to Jackson.
Jackson, who won the 2016 Heisman Trophy, hasn’t decided if he’ll enter the 2018 NFL draft. Vick has told him that he shouldn’t worry about that right now.
“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’s decision could hinge on improving his accuracy. He’s completed 55.6 percent of his passes in two seasons.
Then again, Vick completed only 53.8 percent of his passes in his salad days with the Falcons. For all of Vick’s shortcomings on and off the field, Jackson probably would sign on for the kind of career that Vick had.
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