Lamar Jackson openly critical of himself for passing struggles

There is no questioning Lamar Jackson’s ability to make and extend plays with his legs, but the Baltimore Ravens quarterback needs to become a better passer heading into his second NFL season. No one is more aware of that reality than him.

By his own admission, Jackson has been extremely inconsistent throwing the ball through the first part of organized team activities. He told reporters on Thursday that he has a long way to go.

“I’d say, my first day, I sucked. Second day, I did better. Today, it was all right but it could’ve been better,” Jackson said, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “I’m always trying to be perfect in practice.”

While teammates have observed that he has made some nice passes down the field and Hensley witnessed the same, Jackson is still frustrated with the way his throws look traveling through the air. He indicated that he has a mechanical issue to sort out in order for his passes to be tighter spirals.

“It’s been crazy. It’s been everywhere,” Jackson said. “I feel like my hand is a little too high on the football and that makes the ball go out of whack a lot.”

The Ravens have gone all-in on their 2018 first-round pick, and that means catering a system to his abilities under Greg Roman. The new offensive coordinator has made it clear he is not concerned about Jackson’s style, but NFL quarterbacks have to be able to pass the ball effectively. Jackson averaged just 7.1 yards per attempt last season and completed 58.2 percent of his throws. If those numbers improve and he can stay healthy, he should have a much easier time keeping defenses on their heels.