Jackson’s megadeal and a quarterback-heavy draft underline position’s ever-growing value in the NFL

Quarterback, the old cliche goes, is the most important position in sports. And while that trope may be worn out, there’s a reason teams spend millions trying to lock up the position. And there’s a reason why they’re willing to trade a bounty of picks just to try to solidify the spot.

The NFL world saw that fundamental idea reinforced yet again Thursday when the Baltimore Ravens made Lamar Jackson the highest-paid player in the league with a five-year, $260 million contract and three of the first four picks in this year’s NFL draft were quarterbacks.

The draft began with the Carolina Panthers selecting Heisman winner Bryce Young first, while the Houston Texans picked Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and the Indianapolis Colts took Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the second and fourth selections. 

To have a chance to draft Young, Carolina acquired the first pick last month when it agreed to send the ninth pick, the 61st pick, a 2024 first-round pick and star wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears in a blockbuster trade.

It was a steep price, but the Panthers, who hope the Crimson Tide star is their next franchise quarterback, were willing to pay it.

Baltimore, by contrast, gave Jackson a record contract with $185 million guaranteed. The deal ended a months-long dispute between the Ravens and their star that had gotten to the point that Jackson tweeted he wanted to be traded.

But the Ravens were able to strike an agreement with the former MVP days after the Philadelphia Eagles gave quarterback Jalen Hurts a five-year, $255 million deal. Jackson did not receive a fully guaranteed contract as Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (five years, $245 million) did last year, but he now tops the league in average salary.

Carolina, in a way, hopes that Young becomes their version of Jackson — a dynamic, electric passer who can have a foundational impact on the franchise. The Panthers had been seemingly stuck in quarterback purgatory the past few seasons as they cycled through passers, unable to make the playoffs.

Carolina is now set to enter 2023 with Young and a new coaching staff: The Panthers hired former Colts coach Frank Reich to replace interim Steve Wilks earlier this offseason.

At Alabama, Young thrived in a dominant college program — in spite of his physical limitations. Young measured just 5-foot-10 at the NFL scouting combine in February, but he has quieted concerns about his size in part because of his play on the field. In his Heisman-winning 2021 season, Young threw for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns with just seven interceptions.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler described Young as a “natural passer with an instinctive feel” who has “rare vision and spatial awareness.” He is Alabama’s first player ever to be taken with the first overall pick.

Young had become the clear favorite to be drafted first overall over the last few months. The Texans’ and the Colts’ selections, however, were much more of a surprise. 

There was heavy speculation in the lead-up to the draft that Houston wouldn’t take a quarterback second, while the Colts were commonly inked to Kentucky’s Will Levis. But the divisional rivals landed on Stroud and Richardson as they look to get back into contention. 

At No. 16, the Washington Commanders took Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes, a 6-foot ball-hawking cornerback who projects to fit well in Washington’s zone-based defense. 

Though quarterback has long been a problem for Washington, the expectation was that coach Ron Rivera and Co. would look elsewhere in the first round.

Rivera said last week that they were comfortable with the passers on the roster. Washington will have quarterbacks Sam Howell — a 2022 fifth-round pick from a year ago — and veteran Jacoby Brissett compete for the starting job.

The team’s biggest needs entering the evening figured to be on the offensive line, cornerback and tight end.

Before the draft started, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the impending sale of the Commanders to an investment group led by billionaire Josh Harris. In an interview with ESPN, Goodell said “progress is being made,” and that a deal could be announced “probably by the middle of May or late May.”