In what was considered to be one of the most stacked quarterback classes in recent history, the 2021 NFL draft’s group of passers is showing how special it is early on.
That goes especially the first overall pick, Jacksonville Jaguars signal-caller Trevor Lawrence.
He was considered the top of the class and a generational talent at the position, and that has shown on the field as he has developed throughout his second year.
While Justin Fields and Trey Lance have shown a ton of upside in their own right (while Zach Wilson very much has not), Lawrence has eclipsed both of them, at the same time has distinguishing himself by becoming the first quarterback from that class to win a playoff game after his brilliant comeback win against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lawrence did not make it easy on himself in the first half of his first playoff game, of course, tossing four interceptions in the first half. The Chargers took full advantage, turning the takeaways and gifted field position into a 27-0 first-half lead.
In the second half, however, Lawrence showed us all the tools that made him that first overall pick. He was constantly making elite-level passes, including four consecutive drives where he threw for a touchdown. The game ultimately ended thanks to a 68-yard game winning drive by Lawrence, capped by a 36-yard field goal as the clock hit zero.
Lawrence finished the game with 28 completions on 47 attempts for 288 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. His second half stats tell the story, though, as Lawrence threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns and had a passer rating of 144.5 after the halftime mark.
It will be interesting to see if Lawrence can carry that second-half performance into Saturday’s road tilt against Patrick Mahomes and the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, and perhaps be the first of his class to make it to a conference title game, as well.
[listicle id=641804]