Heading into the 2018 NFL Draft, there were concerns from some analysts about Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. This led to him falling until the 32nd overall pick, where he was selected by the Baltimore Ravens. Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David, however, campaigned for Jackson to be selected much earlier.
Speaking with The Michael Kay Show, David revealed that he had actually called then-New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan and told him to select Jackson with the third overall pick. Instead, the Jets drafted USC signal-caller Sam Darnold.
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“I did call Mike Maccagnan before the 2018 draft and I recommended that he draft Lamar Jackson,” David said during the interview. “I have a witness.” According to the Curb star, Maccagnan simply laughed and reportedly gave a condescending response.
Larry David visits The Michael Kay Show and discusses some New York sports. #TMKSonYES pic.twitter.com/69sukmubMB
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 7, 2020
In the two years since the draft, Jackson has since appeared in the playoffs twice. He is the favorite to win league MVP at the annual NFL Honors ceremony after leading the Ravens to a 14-2 record and the top seed in the AFC Playoffs.
Jackson and the Ravens offense were seemingly unstoppable despite only posting 3,127 passing yards on the season. However, he still led the NFL in passing touchdowns with 36. In addition to the production through the air, Jackson was sixth in the league in rushing yards (1,206) while adding another seven scores on the ground.
Darnold, on the other hand, only appeared in 13 games while dealing with mono. He also struggled with consistency throughout the season. One low point for the Jets came when ESPN aired footage of Darnold saying that he was “seeing ghosts” against the New England Patriots.
As for Maccagnan, he was unceremoniously fired following the 2019 NFL Draft. The Jets released a statement, saying that the decision had been made after an assessment of the longterm vision of the franchise. There were also reports of a power struggle between Maccagnan and Jets head coach Adam Gase.
It’s unclear if drafting Jackson upon David’s recommendation would have saved the GM’s job, and that answer will never be provided. The Jets did not listen to the Curb Your Enthusiasm star and provided the Ravens with the opportunity to draft the player that is viewed as the most exciting figure in the NFL.
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