What if the New England Patriots drafted Lamar Jackson in 2018
The New England Patriots poor drafting literally cost them opportunities to win double-digit Super Bowl titles while they had Tom Brady. Generally, their personnel operation has been a dud.
As noted, this all worked only because of the absolute brilliance of TB12 whom the team kicked to the curb while he was still a Super Bowl-winning level talent.
The team has since floundered making it abundantly clear that the secret of their success was Brady. Poor personnel? No problem. TB12 was always there to bail them out of their self-administered gaffes.
The 2018 draft and its aftermath are a case in point where the team flubbed up a possible bright future after Brady, not once but twice in the first round.
Those colossal blunders cost them a for-real opportunity to remain in the higher echelons of the NFL despite their decision to offload the greatest QB ever.
Let’s take a look a the far-reaching ramifications of these disastrous blunders.
New England Patriots whiffed on drafting the answer, Lamar Jackson
It’s debatable when the New England Patriots football brass, aka Bill Belichick, decided to jettison Tom Brady. That sentiment was evident prior to the disastrous (for a Brady-led team) 2019 season when the terrible decision was ostensibly made.
The team foolishly decided to tender Brady a contract with no franchise clause. The die was cast and that season ended with a disastrous playoff drubbing at the hands of the Tennessee Titans in a Wild Card playoff game.
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It is not unreasonable to surmise that Belichick intended to cut ties with Brady for some time. So why not draft a great talent like Lamar Jackson in 2018 and allow him a season or two to train under the best ever?
The insular personnel operation had not one but two chances to accomplish this in the first round of the 2018 draft. Jackson was available on both the 23rd pick (Isaiah Wynn) and the 31st pick (Sony Michael). They punted.
Passing up Jackson was a debacle no matter whom the Patriots selected. Yet, in drafting those two first-round flops, they exacerbated the calamity.
New England Patriots flourish with Jackson at the helm in 2020
The ultimate denouement of these draft flub-ups was the demise of the once-feared now laughable New England Patriots. They’ve made one playoff appearance in three years since Brady departed, and that was an absolute drubbing by the Buffalo Bills.
With Jackson on board if, a big “if”, there was actually an offensive coach on hand who knew how to utilize his talents, things would have been different.
Jackson makes his own offense with his legs as well as his arm. He mitigates offensive deficiencies with off-the-charts pocket escapability and a surreal ability to turn broken plays into big gainers.
Jackson was the unanimous NFL MVP in 2019. After two years under Brady, think he’d have been ready in 2020 to take charge?
The 2020 season under Cam Newton, who was scapegoated for terrible coaching and personnel decision-making, was underwhelming. Jackson was a younger, healthier, and better alternative.
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That team probably makes the playoffs in 2020. It would certainly have in 2021 and 2022 despite the mishmash of offensive non-weapons he would have had at his disposal. He’s that good.
Lamar Jackson is the ultimate difference-maker and game-breaker. The Patriots have none on their roster now.
One can only surmise that the team would have soared with Jackson at the helm and history would have been turned upside down if the New England Patriots had drafted him in 2018.
What might have been …