The Heisman Trophy that Lamar Jackson earned as a 19-year-old and the 119 touchdowns he produced at Louisville don't carry any weight at his first NFL training camp.

Just like all the other Baltimore Ravens rookies Youth Josey Jewell Jersey , Jackson has to prove he can make the transition to the pro game.

And he's totally fine with it.

"It feels good just being out here with NFL talent," Jackson said. "It's not college or high school anymore. You're a grown man. You have to show up and show out."

Jackson played well at minicamp in the spring, and the first-round pick continues to impress this summer. He's not about to unseat 10-year veteran Joe Flacco, who's assured the starting job, but the fleet-footed newcomer has turned more than a few heads with his ability to escape a collapsing pocket and sprint downfield.

"He likes to run, very fast," Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "He's very exciting, a young talent, and he approaches the game with the kind of requirement that quarterbacks are held to in this league. He could have a promising career."

At Louisville, Jackson did it all. He threw 69 touchdown passes and ran for 50 scores before opting to toss his name into the draft after completing a junior season in which he was named a Heisman Trophy finalist for the second year in a row.

Known more for his legs than his arm, the 6-foot-2 Jackson was on the brink of dropping from the first round before the Ravens worked a trade with Philadelphia and nabbed him with the 32nd overall pick.

Eager to blunt any notion that Jackson would compete for the starting job, coach John Harbaugh immediately stressed the job belongs to Flacco. There's veteran quarterback Robert Griffin III to contend with, too Packers Game Jerseys , but instead of considering them rivals, Jackson views them as teachers.

"I'm still learning," the 21-year-old acknowledged. "Everything they do, I'm trying to mimic."

Jackson, however, has his own special skills. The Ravens know it would be foolish to keep him on the bench, so they're trying to find creative ways to work him into the offense. At a recent practice, he threw a pass to Flacco, who lined up as a receiver.

"We're going to see what everybody's strengths are," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "We'll try to use all of our players that are eligible, we'll try to use the whole field, we'll get it to our best players."

Jackson has impressed his teammates and the coaching staff with his athleticism and willingness to work.

"I'll tell you what, Lamar's done just an outstanding job Chargers Justin Jones Jersey ," Mornhinweg said. "Everybody in this league has some uncommon tools, and he certainly does. You can see on the practice field. He's way ahead of the curve now."

The next step for Jackson �and by far the most significant thus far �is going up against outside competition. Come Thursday night, in the Hall of Fame Game against the Chicago Bears, it will be time to see what he's got.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I have to show them my talent in the preseason games."

It may not be pretty. There might even be an interception or two. Not that it matters.

"With a young player, I don't think you expect perfection," Harbaugh said, "but he looks pretty good out there to me."

All that¡¯s standing between the San Jose Sharks and home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs is a win over a team they haven¡¯t been able to solve this season.

It¡¯s a pivotal season finale Saturday night when the Sharks meet the Minnesota Wild at SAP Center.

San Jose (45-26-10) snapped a four-game skid with a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

¡°It wasn¡¯t a pretty win, but we found a way. Tough time of year, tough circumstances against a real desperate team,¡± Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said.

Home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the postseason goes to the team that finishes higher in the regular-season standings. With 100 points, San Jose is in second place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and two in front of the Los Angeles Kings.

All three California teams are in action Saturday. Anaheim travels to meet the Arizona Coyotes  http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jessie-bates -iii-jersey , while Los Angeles plays host to the Dallas Stars. Neither the Coyotes nor the Stars are headed to the postseason.

A win over Minnesota locks down second place for San Jose and would come after two crushing losses. On Dec. 10, the Sharks rallied from three goals down at home before falling 4-3 in overtime to the Wild. On Feb. 25, San Jose squandered a two-goal edge and lost 3-2 in overtime in St. Paul.

Brent Burns has two power-play goals against the Wild this season. Minnesota selected Burns 20th overall in the 2003 draft before trading him to the Bay Area in 2011. With 65 points, last season¡¯s Norris Trophy winner is second in the league in scoring among defensemen, one point behind the Stars¡¯ John Klingberg.

Sharks forward Evander Kane is expected to miss his third straight game with an undisclosed injury. However, he told the San Jose Mercury News this week that he¡¯ll be good to go for his postseason debut.

¡°As long as I¡¯ve got two arms and two legs, I¡¯ll be playing no matter what,¡± said Kane, who has nine goals and five assists in 14 games after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline.

The Sharks¡¯ Martin Jones, who collected his 30th win Thursday, is 0-3-2 with a 3.35 goals-against average in his last five starts against Minnesota. Backup Aaron Dell has never faced the Wild.

Regardless of the outcome of this game, Minnesota (44-26-11) will not have the home-ice edge when it faces the Winnipeg Jets in the first round. However, the Wild are looking to avoid their fifth consecutive loss on the road ¡ª including a California sweep.

After falling 3-1 to Anaheim on Wednesday Vinny Curry Jersey Elite , Minnesota dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to Los Angeles.

¡°We¡¯ve got to get back to playing the right way,¡± Wild defenseman Nate Prosser said.

Three of Eric Staal¡¯s 41 goals on the season for Minnesota have come versus the Sharks. He needs one more to top his total over the last two seasons combined with the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and the Wild.

There is a chance that the 33-year-old veteran of nearly 1,100 games might sit out to rest for the postseason, but he¡¯d rather see action.

¡°I like to play, I love being out there regardless of any situation,¡± said Staal, who has four goals and two assists in his last two games in San Jose. ¡°We¡¯ll see what gets talked about (Friday) and what the game plan is. But I¡¯m fine with playing. We¡¯ve got a couple more days anyway before playoffs start, so I¡¯d like to be out there with the guys.¡±

Devan Dubnyk has alternated losses and wins in his last nine starts (4-3-2) with a 2.08 GAA and a shutout for Minnesota. Backup and former Shark Alex Stalock made 31 saves in the win over San Jose in December.

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