Lamar Jackson's four-touchdown day against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10 brought him to a benchmark: 16 regular-season starts. That's one full season's worth of data for the second-year quarterback, who -- if you can believe it -- is the last of the five QBs picked in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft to reach the 16-start mark.
That means it's a perfect time to stack those signal-callers, taking a look back at their rookie seasons, how they've fared in Year 2, and what to expect from them the rest of 2019. I dug deep into the tape on Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Sorry, Mason Rudolph -- I'm just focusing on the first-rounders from the class.
My ranking has to start with Jackson, who is an MVP candidate and could be in the running for the NFL's Most Improved Player:
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Why he's ranked here: Jackson ranks fourth in the league in Total QBR (78.1) through 10 weeks of the season, and his dual-threat ability makes the Baltimore offense one of the league's toughest units to defend. He's a legitimate MVP candidate. With clear signs of development as a thrower in offensive coordinator Greg Roman's system -- he has 15 touchdown passes this season -- Jackson's growth from his rookie season jumps. This doesn't look like the same quarterback who struggled throwing the ball in the playoff loss to the Chargers. And it's the high-level production this season and that improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 that makes Jackson the clear choice over the rest of the 2018 class.
Biggest strength: Dynamic, playmaking traits
Stat to know: Jackson has rushed for 419 yards and five touchdowns on designed QB runs this season, by far the most in the league.
With Roman building a game plan that caters to his quarterback's skill set, Jackson has rushed for a total of 702 yards -- at 6.62 yards per carry -- and the designed-run concepts put defenders in conflict. Plus, with the former No. 32 overall pick's ability to make second-reaction plays as a both a runner and thrower, he consistently puts pressure on opposing defensive game plans. Jackson also leads the NFL in QBR when blitzed (92.2), which shows off his ability to throw strikes when pressured or scramble away from pass-rushers to get first downs. How Roman & Co. have maximized Jackson's dual-threat ability has been fun to watch, and it has paid off in the Ravens' 7-2 start.
Biggest weakness: Ball placement