Lamar Jackson Voted NBA Players’ Favorite Athlete

Lamar Jackson Voted NBA Players’ Favorite Athlete

Lamar Jackson made a positive impression on the international soccer community this week in Germany, and it turns out the Ravens quarterback is a big hit with NBA players as well.

In The Athletic’s anonymous NBA players survey, Jackson was voted the players’ favorite non-NBA athlete.

“He’s one of the best QBs ever since he came into the league,” one player said. “His running ability is crazy.”

Jackson received 13 percent of the vote, well ahead of women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark (6.1 percent).

The other NFL players who ranked among the top 20 vote-getters were: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (3.5 percent), Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2.6 percent), Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1.7 percent), Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (1.7 percent), and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (1.7 percent). Ravens running back Derrick Henry also received votes.

Surveying NBA players about their favorite non-NBA athletes, the responses were mixed.

Shohei Ohtani? Lamar Jackson? 𝙆𝙞𝙧𝙠 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙨?

The full voting breakdown ⤵️https://t.co/WvDgZabcIX pic.twitter.com/AjEtgHXCHT

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 22, 2024

Pundits Make the Case for Ravens Trading Up in First Round

There’s been a lot of speculation that the Ravens could trade down from the 30th-overall pick in the first round of the draft on Thursday night, but there hasn’t been much talk about the possibility of General Manager Eric DeCosta trading up.

The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer made the case for the Ravens moving up in the first round, noting that with nine picks in this year’s draft and a projected 11 in next year’s, they have the ammunition to do so.

“In the few instances when the Ravens have traded up under DeCosta, they’ve targeted prospects with rare physical gifts,” Shaffer wrote. “A handful of players expected to be taken in the low to mid-20s in this year’s draft fit that profile and would also fill a need on the Ravens’ roster: Georgia offensive tackle

Amarius Mims, LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean and Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson.”

Shaffer looked at where the Ravens could move up in the first round with various two-pick trade packages based on Jimmy Johnson’s trade value chart:

● No. 29 (Detroit Lions): Nos. 30 and 165 (fifth round) overall

● No. 28 (Buffalo Bills): Nos. 30 and 130 (fourth round)

● No. 27 (Arizona Cardinals): Nos. 30 and 113 (fourth round)

● No. 24 (Dallas Cowboys): Nos. 30 and 93 (third round)

● No. 18 (Cincinnati Bengals): Nos. 30 and 62 (second round)

Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness also envisioned a scenario in which the Ravens could trade up.

“Baltimore picks at No. 30 overall and could draft a falling tackle, with players like Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton and Arizona’s Jordan Morgan frequently being linked to the Ravens in mock drafts,” McGuinness wrote. “I like the idea of Baltimore being aggressive, especially if a player like Washington’s Troy Fautanu or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu reaches the midpoint of the first round. The Ravens would likely need to add a second- and a fourth-round pick to get up into that range, but given their needs at the position this year and next, it’s a move that could set them up for the next five years at left tackle.”