Minicamp Report:Lamar Jackson Has Up And Down As Tight End Shines..
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson started his first day of mandatory minicamp in a groove. He ended it in a rut.
Unofficially, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player went 20-for-26 in 11-on-11 work and 9-for-10 in seven-on-seven work Tuesday afternoon.
But Jackson, who over his career has consistently avoided turnovers in minicamp and training camp, threw three interceptions, including back-to-back picks near the end of practice.
Jackson’s first interception could be chalked up to bad luck: After throwing an accurate swing pass to Derrick Henry in the left flat midway through practice, the running back bobbled the ball into the hands of cornerback Brandon Stephens, who would’ve scored on the return.
Jackson’s next two picks came on underthrown balls. He opened a red-zone period by targeting wide receiver Nelson Agholor in the front corner of the end zone, only to watch cornerback Arthur Maulet box him out for the ball and secure the takeaway .
After a false start, with the offense now backed up near its goal line, Jackson then tried to thread a pass over the middle to tight end Charlie Kolar.
But All-Pro Roquan Smith, one of the NFL’s best linebackers in coverage, got a hand on the pass as he dropped into Kolar’s zone and tipped the ball to himself. Smith seemed to delight in needling tight ends coach George Godsey as he celebrated the turnover.