It's not often you get Bill Belichick to light up when talking about a player or recall anything meaningful about scouting said player coming out of college.
The Patriots coach did both this week when asked about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, whom Belichick's squad will face off against this coming Sunday.
"Great visit, spent a lot of time with him," Belichick told us on Wednesday.
"Really interesting guy."
Apparently, the feeling is mutual.
Reporters in Baltimore asked Jackson what it was like meeting with Belichick during the pre-draft process in 2018, and the quarterback responded with a grin.
"I've seen Belichick smile," Jackson recalled. "Usually, when I see him, he's puzzled face, a straight-faced guy. When I saw him smile, I was like, 'Damn, you've got humor.' … I'm like, 'I wasn't expecting you to be smiling.'"
The Patriots reportedly had several meetings with Jackson, from speaking to him at his Pro Day in Louisville to Josh McDaniels hosting him for a private workout.
Of course, New England passed on Jackson in the first round despite the interest, drafting Isaiah Wynn with the No. 23 pick and taking Sony Michel with the No. 31 pick. The Ravens nabbed Jackson with the very next selection after Michel.
Belichick and the Patriots went on to win another Super Bowl with Tom Brady at the helm before losing the all-time great quarterback a few years later. Now, Mac Jones runs the show in Foxborough while Jackson, who won MVP in 2019, is starting out 2022 like he wants to win another.
On the "1st and Foxborough" podcast, Reeta Hubbard of "The Winning Drive" said the Patriots will have their hands full as Jackson seeks to avenge the Ravens' rain-soaked loss at Gillette Stadium back in 2020.
"He's very focused right now," Hubbard said. "I'm really impressed with how the Ravens have changed some things this off-season from an offensive perspective. They have him under center more. He's playing really well with throwing the ball outside the numbers so far.
"I think this is a different type of Lamar than it was two years ago. … And then there's a sense of him feeling like he probably has to put this team on his back because this defense, as of right now, isn't playing extremely well."
"I definitely think Bill Belichick respects what Lamar can do out there, and without a doubt he's going to put together the best game plan possible to take Lamar out of the game," said Hubbard's co-host Cordell Woodland. "Will it work? … If there's a good weather day on Sunday, we'll see what happens."
