BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson’s place on the NFL’s annual list of its top 100 players should not be treated as the final word on his standing around the league.

It can still get his attention, though, and likely already has.

Jackson, 29, maintains an ever-present social media profile and recently made a surprise appearance during Kai Cenat’s Streamer University auditions. The Ravens quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player might insist he does not dwell on outside opinions, but he is hardly disconnected from the online discourse surrounding him.

Jackson landed at No. 69 this year, a staggering 67-place descent after his peers ranked him No. 2 in consecutive seasons. NFL Network will gradually reveal the rest of the player-voted list through Sept. 4.

Wide receiver Zay Flowers checked in at No. 71. Then came another surprise Wednesday: Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith was revealed at No. 65, four places ahead of Jackson.

Smith is an accomplished linebacker, respected team leader and key piece of Baltimore’s defense. Like Jackson, he spent part of last season battling injuries and was unable to perform at his usual level.

Yet the NFL’s list places Smith ahead of Jackson.

Come on.

Jackson’s dramatic drop naturally raises questions about how his peers viewed his injury-marred season. Smith landing ahead of him also makes the ballot itself more difficult to trust.

When it comes to conducting the poll itself, NFL players are typically approached by league or NFL Network representatives after a random practice during the season, handed a paper form and marker and asked to write down their 20 best players. Not every player participates, and those who do often compare notes with teammates before filling out their ballots and moving along with the rest of their workday.

Think about that scene for a moment.

Practice has just ended, and players are ready to hit the showers before continuing with treatment and meetings. Wedged into that transition is a sheet of paper asking them to carefully evaluate the entire NFL.

This is how the league is determining its most prominent player ranking?

The NFL could improve the exercise by conducting the voting electronically and giving players enough time to consider their selections away from the rush of a random practice. A secure electronic ballot sent during the season would not create a perfect list, but at least it would resemble a more serious survey rather than a pop quiz administered on the way to the locker room showers.

So, yes, the NFL’s Top 100 deserves an asterisk.

Jackson was sidelined for three games with a hamstring injury, while a back contusion flared late and forced him to miss another game. Even when available, Jackson rarely moved with his usual freedom, finishing with a career-worst 349 rushing yards and seven fumbles. Across 13 contests, Jackson passed for 2,549 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Jackson lacked the volume of his brilliant 2024 campaign, though his 103.8 passer rating still ranked fourth in the league and topped those of seven quarterbacks who earned Pro Bowl recognition.

Losing helped drag him down the list, too.

The Ravens finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs after entering the season with Super Bowl expectations.

Jackson’s placement in another league survey demonstrates just how subjective these exercises are. ESPN recently asked more than 70 executives, coaches and scouts to rank the NFL’s quarterbacks, and Jackson finished fifth, behind Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles’ Matthew Stafford and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.

Burrow ahead of Jackson? That should raise an eyebrow.

Burrow appeared in only eight games last season and finished with a lower passer rating, 100.7 to Jackson’s 103.8. Speaking of passer rating, Jackson is the NFL’s all-time leader at 102.2.

Injuries have also interrupted Burrow’s career more frequently. Jackson has averaged 13.4 starts across eight seasons, compared with Burrow’s 12.8 starts over his six seasons.

Go ahead, write off Jackson at your own risk.

Rankings aside, Jackson has already secured his place among the most gifted quarterbacks the sport has witnessed. What he continues to chase, though, is the one achievement that has so far eluded him, a Super Bowl title.

“I really don’t think about my legacy,” Jackson said at the conclusion of mandatory minicamp in mid-June. “I just try to be the best player I can be, keeping God first and doing what I can do — being on the field and just trying to be the best player I can be at every moment.

“Probably when I start thinking about retiring, I’ll probably be thinking about that — but not now.”

Jackson’s attention appears fixed on the upcoming season, with training camp now less than two weeks away. He has been more involved in the Ravens’ offseason program than at any point in recent years, regularly working through a new offense and unfamiliar terminology under first-year coach Jesse Minter and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.

“He’s just an unbelievable leader and an infectious person when he’s here,” Minter said of Jackson. “I think he’s done a great job leading the offense in the offseason — learning, being willing to try things, do different things. … I know he’s very excited about where we’re headed.

“There’s nobody I’d rather have as the quarterback of this team, this franchise. The way that he operates, how infectious he is, how much joy he brings to the preparation and the practice field. … He’s been everything.”

Jackson has been down this road before. The last time he fell this far — No. 72 on the 2023 Top 100 — he responded by winning his second MVP award and earning consecutive No. 2 rankings.

The NFL has reminded Jackson how quickly admiration fades when the winning slows. His latest ranking adds fuel to another opportunity to show the rest of the league he is still that guy.

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