NFL mock draft has Ravens going quarterback in first round

John Harbaugh might be 200 percent confident that Lamar Jackson will be his quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens next season, but others are not so sure.

That includes NFL.com, who has the Ravens taking a quarterback with their first-round pick in their first 2023 Mock Draft.

Given the uncertainty surrounding Jackson's future in Baltimore, NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has the Ravens taking Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with their first pick at No. 22 overall.

Jackson is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason after the two sides could not agree on a new long-term contract extension before the 2022 regular season began. There is still time for the Ravens to get him signed before the free agent signing period begins, while the Ravens also have the franchise tag option at their disposal.

Jackson missed the final five games of the regular season and the team's playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals due to a PCL sprain, and his absence, combined with the fact he did not travel to Cincinnati with the team for the playoff game prompted speculation that maybe his time with the team is done. 

If the Ravens do end up parting ways with Jackson, whether it be through traditional free agency or some kind of tag-and-trade deal, it would obviously put the Ravens in dire need of a quarterback. Current backup Tyler Huntley is not the answer long-term, while the Ravens offense has suffered badly over the past five years when Jackson has been out of the lineup.

This year's quarterback class features at least four potential first-round picks, but the top-three (Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, and Kentucky's Will Levis) all figure to be gone somewhere in the top-10, long before the Ravens' first pick. Richardson would be the next in line, and it is very likely he will be there at the 22nd pick.

But if the Ravens are able to sign Jackson long-term, their next biggest need should be giving Jackson some much needed help at wide receiver. That has been the biggest weakness for the Ravens for years now, and it only got worse after they traded Marquise Brown before the 2022 season. 

USC's Jordan Addison or Ohio State's Jaxson Smith-Njigba figure to be potential picks at that spot.