NFL people, can you at least let Lamar Jackson finish his amazing college QB career before you start calling him a WR?

Lamar Jackson was the 2016 college football season’s most spectacular player. They gave him a trophy for it. Through the first two games of 2017, he’s showed off development as a passer and as a part of an offense that head coach Bobby Petrino would like to adapt toward more dropback passing, though they’re still doing the use-whatever-works Petrino plan.

This play from Week 2 has frequently been cited as an example. Instead of taking off, Jackson keeps his eyes up and makes the longest throw of his career so far:

And yet, with at least 11 games remaining in his college career and an entire draft process still yet to actually begin, the debate about his pro future isn’t just off and running. It’s so far along, big names have long been discussing a position switch.

Former Bills, Panthers, and Colts GM Bill Polian on ESPN Los Angeles before Jackson took on Clemson’s horrifying defensive front:

“I don’t think that Lamar, the Louisville kid’s in that discussion, in fact there’s a question that he may be, he might be a receiver.”

[loud yelling from the hosts, including “are you kidding me?”]

“No, I’m not kidding you. And that has to do with girth and skill set as well.”

Later on, after discussing the other quarterbacks, LZ Granderson brought up Drew Brees’ size (Brees is actually much shorter than Jackson, who is listed at 6’3″ and a slender–by QB standards–211 pounds). Polian responded, “Different guy, different guy.”

“You hurting me, Bill,” Keyshawn Johnson then added, “because I think he’s a NFL quarterback.”

“I’m not saying he isn’t, I just don’t think he’s in the class of the other three,” Polian said in response.

The other three being UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, and the curiously NFL-beloved Josh Allen of Wyoming.

From an August post by Yahoo!’s Pete Thamel, about this widely hyped QB class, in which Jackson’s name first appears near the bottom:

Jackson will rival Rosen as the most divisive prospect, as he’ll eventually have to decide whether his rare athleticism is better used at receiver. (His slight build – listed 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds – has scouts concerned). Scouts are skeptical of [Ohio State’s J.T.] Barrett and [USF’s Quinton] Flowers because of their pocket-passing deficiencies, but there’s another thousand snaps of football to prove them wrong.

Part of a September post by Yahoo!’s Pat Forde:

Rich Bartel, a former NFL backup QB who now serves as director and creator of business development for KANO Sports, which created a software app for long-term quarterback development: “To me he’s going to have to learn how to handle punts and kickoffs and become a slot or an outside wide receiver who can go back and take a snap [as a third roster quarterback].”

Insulting as that opinion might seem, there are others looking at Jackson through an NFL prism who see issues. One NFL personnel director told my colleague Pete Thamel: “He can throw but can’t, meaning every now and then he’ll hit something. He’s a really good athlete.”

Some college people, too.

In January, Sports Illustrated quoted an anonymous ACC coach as saying, “Jackson has no shot at playing quarterback in the NFL. None. He can’t make the throws and can’t read coverages.” Jackson later suspected Wake Forest of making the comment, which Deacs head coach Dave Clawson denied.

I do know he’s had a far more impressive college career so far than any of this class’ other quarterbacks. That’s about all I’m equipped to judge players by.

There’s also an elephant in the room. Every year, at least one black QB prospect is put through a different kind of narrative than his counterparts. But the traditional argument when it comes to black QBs who can run — we’re often told they have strong arms and quick feet but make mistakes — applies far more aptly to the white Allen, who’s thrown seven INTs in his only two games against Power 5 opponents, than it would to Jackson, who’s succeeded despite a terrible offensive line.

Michael Felder, a former UNC DB, goes to the tape, pointing out Jackson’s downfield vision and smart throwaways:

A reasonable comp by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah in July, though most would agree Jackson has since become the more promising passer.

I don’t use the Mike Vick comparison lightly. Vick is the most explosive quarterback to ever play the position. Jackson has that type of dynamic speed. However, Vick was a more polished passer and Jackson has some mechanical improvements that need to be made before he’ll be capable of matching Vick’s professional success. If Jackson can clean some of these issues up, watch out!

Here’s a roundup of arguments on Jackson’s favor:

That part is fine. Just save the arguments about stellar players changing positions for, like, March or so.