Lamar Jackson is social media's favorite Ravens player, study shows

Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson is the most popular Raven — on Instagram at least, according to a study.

The study was conducted using numbers accumulated in mid-May. Back then, Jackson outpaced all Ravens with 695,000 followers on Instagram — more than old Ravens favorites such as Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs and Brandon Williams.

Now, Jackson’s Instragram followers count has bloomed to 756,000. That’s over 200,000 more than Baltimore favorite Ray Lewis, who has 514,000. Another backup quarterback, Robert Griffin III, claimed the team silver medal at the time with 471,000 followers, which has since expanded by 8,000.

Jackson’s bountiful follower count should come as no surprise. When the rookie quarterback takes his turn during training camp, cries of “Lamar!” and “Crazy eight” percolate the air, often from the mouths of children. He’s easily winning the adoration of Ravens fans with his performance at practice, connecting with his receivers or using his trademark agility to dodge defenders.

Flacco, with just 41,200 followers (on 35 posts), falls below the top five that includes Justin Tucker, cornerback Brandon Carr and cornerback Brandon Boykin (who is no longer a Raven, but was at the time of the study).

Jackson’s popularity is exemplary of just how loved quarterbacks are, the study finds. After wide receivers and running backs, quarterbacks garner the third-most followers among team offensive players with 22 percent. Out of the three units, the offense attracts 71 percent of the team’s followers.

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Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith puts on his helmet to start practice at Under Armour Performance Center after four game suspension. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

But despite Jackson’s relative IG clout, the Ravens aren’t the most popular on a macro scale.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. leaves the field in his dust with 10.5 million followers, followed by quarterbacks Cam Newton and Tom Brady (tied with four million) Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3.3 million) and Houston Texans defensive end J.J Watt (3.1 million).

The Ravens also don’t amass the most followers team-wide. The Giants lead the NFL with 2.48 million while Baltimore does not make the top ten. In the AFC North, the Ravens rank third behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.