There’s no way to perfectly mimic Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. He’s as unique a quarterback as the NFL has ever seen. The 49ers are giving a shot at preparing for Jackson by lining up wide receiver Richie James Jr. at quarterback for the scout team.
James is one of the 49ers’ most electric athletes. He’s fast and explosive in tight spaces. His ability to make people miss and run by defensive backs should give the 49ers a pretty good idea of what Jackson brings when he decides to take off and run.
There are two problems Jackson poses though that makes James a less-than-perfect fill in for him.
First, Jackson has very good size. James is listed at 5-9, 185 pounds. Jackson is listed at 6-2, 212 pounds. He’s capable of running through and shaking off defenders in a way James can’t.
Then there’s the throwing aspect. Even if James can throw the ball some, Jackson has been an excellent passer this season. He has a 66.9 percent completion rate to go with a league-best 24 touchdowns and 8.0 percent touchdown rate.
His combination of explosive running and high-level throwing makes him truly unique, and San Francisco’s out-of-the-box preparation speaks to just how unique that is.