The Lamar Jackson saga seems to be over after signing a five-year, $260M contract extension just hours before the 2023 NFL Draft, but one insider believes the Ravens would have drafted his replacement if not for the agreement.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Baltimore would have “considered” drafting Kentucky QB Will Levis with its first-round pick had Jackson not agreed to the new deal prior to the draft.
Levis ended up falling out of the first round to the Titans who traded up to select him with the second pick in the second round (No. 33). If not for the two sides finding a compromise, Levis would be wearing purple and black instead.
The 23-year-old ranked as Pro Football Focus’s No. 7 overall prospect and the third-best quarterback in the class after throwing for 5,232 yards, 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions from 2021-22. However, there were concerns about character issues that made him the odd man out on night one.
The Ravens should be happy as they have the 2019 NFL MVP now signed through the 2027 season while Levis will be fighting for the backup role in Tennessee. But Jackson does have even higher expectations since becoming the highest-paid quarterback in the league.
Of course, this is only hypothetical now, but people may look back in five to 10 years and imagine what could have been.
