Bucking the over-analysts

And now more from the NFL combine, which the Blob explained in all its psychotic glory yesterday.

It seems the paralysis-by-analysis crowd has determined that Louisville's 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson does not have what it takes to be an effective quarterback in the NFL, or at least one you would want to throw a pile of money at in the upcoming draft.

They say he's too small. They say he doesn't have the arm strength or the accuracy. They say he can't do what he does with his legs, he'll get killed out there.

Oh, wait. That's what they said about Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Dak Prescott. You know, all those complete busts.

Jackson?

Well, they're saying a lot of the same thing about him, too -- including that he's too small, even though he's 6-3. That's 3-to-4 inches taller than Brees and Wilson, but, you know, never mind.

As to the rest ... well, it's true he's stunningly athletic, which apparently is not a metric the paralysis-by-analysis crowd prizes in their prospective NFL quarterbacks, even though there is significant evidence the ideal model is moving in that direction. The better quarterbacks in the league, particularly the younger ones, all have a certain amount of mobility these days. They all can do things with their legs. And there are abundant examples of that type who have succeeded to one degree or another going all the way back to Michael Vick -- or, if you really want to get old school, Fran Tarkenton.

And here's something else: Jackson is no shrinking violet.

To those at the combine who are convinced he's no NFL quarterback, and who had designs on working him out at wide receiver, Jackson had one response: Hell, no. He is, he said, a quarterback. He's not a wide receiver. He's a quarterback.

He's certainly got the quantitative evidence of that. In 2016, the year the won the Heisman, he the for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns and ran for 1,571 yards and 21 more touchdowns. Last season, he threw for 3,660 yards and 27 TDs and ran 1,601 yards and 18 scores.

If you're keeping score at home, that's better than 7,000 yards passing, 3,172 yards rushing and 96 touchdowns accounted for in two seasons.

I think someone in the NFL could find a way to make a guy like that work as a quarterback. Especially when you look at some of the sad sacks currently drawing NFL paychecks at the position.

I mean, Nathan Peterman and Christian Hackenberg can play in this league, but Lamar Jackson can't?

Okey-dokey.