There have only been a handful of quarterbacks selected in the back half, bottom of, or entirely out of the first round of the NFL Draft since the turn of the century who have gone on to have successful careers.
While the hit rate on players at the position picked in the top 15 is much higher, there are instances where teams find their franchise quarterbacks and eventual NFL legends later. The Baltimore Ravens landed a star signal-caller who fits both descriptions with the last pick in the first round in 2018 when they selected Lamar Jackson No. 32 overall out of Louisville.
The Ravens had to part with a pair of second-round picks to move back up to take him, and it turned out to be the most impactful trade not only in franchise history but also one of the greatest draft steals of all time in the NFL. It earned Jackson the No. 3 spot on NFL.com’s Eric Edholm’s list of the top five best draft values of the millennium at quarterback.
“The 2018 draft class was notable for its five first-round quarterbacks, four of whom are still starting in the league now,” Edholm wrote. “Josh Allen is the only one, though, who can boast a career similar to that of Jackson, selected 25 picks after Allen went to the Bills at No. 7 overall.”
Jackson was the last first-round pick of Ravens’ Hall of Fame general manager Ozzie Newsome’s illustrious career at the helm of the team’s front office—and the best possible inheritance he could’ve bestowed upon his successor and close friend, Eric DeCosta.
“It has unquestionably been one of the best picks of the Ravens’ strong drafting history, and that it came in GM Ozzie Newsome’s final draft added another feather to his Hall of Fame cap,” Edholm wrote.
All four of the other quarterbacks taken ahead of Jackson that year came off the board in the top 10 picks, with the biggest indictment on the rest of the league’s evaluating skills being the selection of Josh Rosen—22 spots before Jackson—at No. 10 overall by the Arizona Cardinals, who traded up five spots from 15.
The only two quarterbacks listed ahead of Jackson on the list are completely justified. Coming in at No. 2 was Aaron Rodgers, who fell to No. 24 overall in the 2005 draft and went on to be a four-time MVP, 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time First-Team All-Pro, and Super Bowl champion in 2010. Claiming the top spot is none other than Tom Brady, unquestionably the biggest draft steal of any position in NFL history. After not hearing his name called until No. 199 overall in the sixth round of the 2000 draft, he went on to become a 15-time Pro Bowler, seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP, and three-time league MVP and First-Team All-Pro.
Coming into the league, Jackson had already proven to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football history, becoming the youngest recipient of the Heisman Trophy at just 19 years old. Despite being in the NFL for less than a decade with fewer than 100 career starts, Edholm believes Jackson has “already established himself as one of the great dual-threat quarterbacks in league history.”
Jackson’s list of accolades during his first seven NFL seasons—including six as a full-time starter—includes being a two-time league MVP and nearly achieving his third in back-to-back years after producing the best dual-threat season in NFL history in 2024.
Since 2019, he has been voted to the Pro Bowl four times, named First-Team All-Pro three times, and already holds the record for career rushing yards by a quarterback. According to StatMuse, Jackson also ranks just one game behind Rodgers for the most games by a quarterback with a passer rating of 100 or above (14-13), with plenty of time to surpass the future Hall of Famer, who is “pretty sure” his final season will be in 2025 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Edholm acknowledged that while Jackson has yet to win a Super Bowl, “his credentials are above scrutiny.” At just 28 years old and still finding ways to elevate his already elite game year after year, there’s no telling where Jackson could end up on lists such as these when his career is all said and done.