Category: Trevor Lawrence

Jags QB Trevor Lawrence ranked atop ESPN’s second-year breakout players list

#Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence came in at the No. 1 spot of ESPN’s second-year breakout players list.

With training camp starting this week, many will be watching Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he enters his second season. This time, however, he will have a better situation around him as Urban Meyer has been replaced with a Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson.

The Jags’ decision to pair the No. 1 pick from the 2021 draft with Pederson is one the Jags have been praised for much of the offseason. The reason for that is because Pederson has shown he can coach the quarterback position well as fans witnessed during his last stop with the Philadelphia Eagles.

With Pederson now by his side, Lawrence is expected to take a positive step in the eyes of some. That includes Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner, who put Lawrence atop his list of second-year breakout players, which was posted on ESPN.

When discussing Lawrence, Renner pointed to the performance he had to close the season against the Indianapolis Colts, where he was 23-of-32 (71.9%) for 223 yards and two touchdowns against a respectable defense that had a lot to play for.

Lawrence showed in his rookie season why he was considered to be in such rarified air as a prospect. It just took until Week 18 for him to do so. In a meaningless game for the Jaguars, but one that meant everything to the Indianapolis Colts’ playoff aspirations, Lawrence didn’t flinch.

He delivered the second-highest passing grade any quarterback achieved against the Colts’ defense all season, trailing only Lamar Jackson’s absurd Week 5 outing when he went for 442 yards and four scores on 37-of-43 passing. Lawrence himself went 23-of-32 for 223 yards and two scores. That stat line would have even been better were it not for four drops from his receivers.

Lawrence’s performance in the season finale was arguably his best and gave fans a lot of hope because of the circumstances and the fact that it was against a divisional opponent he will see often. However, there were several other occasions where he previously flashed (most notably against Cincinnati and Miami). Those moments are why fans are optimistic about Lawrence despite his rookie season being a rough one overall.

Renner also pointed to Lawrence’s supporting cast, which didn’t help him much as the receivers dropped 37 passes, which was the second-highest total of any quarterback. That gave Lawrence a loss of 226 passing yards in 2021, and it left a lot of opportunities on the field for the offense.

The Jags didn’t have a perfect offseason but were able to add notables like Christian Kirk and Evan Engram to help the passing game, as well as former All-Pro and Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff. They also will be getting a speed weapon back in running back Travis Etienne, who missed the season with a Lisfranc injury.

These additions and a few others should help Lawrence take another step in 2022. It should also help the overall team at least double their win total as they registered three wins during his rookie season.

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

Trevor Lawrence discusses community work, OTAs, and more with Jags Wire

We sat down with Trevor Lawrence on Monday to talk about his latest work in the Jax community with Gatorade. He also discussed how OTAs went, the coaching staff, and working with his WRs.

Trevor Lawrence during the Gatorade Beat the Heat campaign, Monday, July 11, 2022 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Photo credit: Gatorade]

Before the Jacksonville Jaguars even drafted him, it was clear that Trevor Lawrence wanted to do his part to help the community. Just last year prior to the NFL Draft, Lawrence and his wife, Marissa, donated $20,000 to various charities around Jacksonville after fans raised more than $30,000 in Lawrence’s name in charitable giving. With his first year as an NFL quarterback in the books, Lawrence has partnered with one of his sponsors, Gatorade, for more community outreach.

With the Jags on their pre-camp break, the Jaguars Wire sat down with Lawrence for a Q&A session to learn more about his partnership with Gatorade, his latest community work with the T.R.U.E. Youth organization of Jacksonville and how he’s feeling heading into the 2022 regular season after an offseason full of changes. 

Read on to hear what the second-year quarterback had to say.

Cris Collinsworth says Doug Pederson, Trevor Lawrence pairing is ‘a match made in heaven’

Everyone knew the Jags needed to hire an offensive minded HC for Trevor Lawrence, but PFF’s Cris Collinsworth believes they got a perfect match for him (or close to it).

As football fans have witnessed for many years now, pairing a quarterback with the right head coach can get a team a long way. That’s what the Jacksonville Jaguars are hoping for after hiring Doug Pederson in February as he will now get to coach up 2021’s No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence.

Pederson, who took last season off, will enter his second tenure as a head coach after a notable run with the Philadelphia Eagles. While there, he accumulated a 42-37-1 overall record and was able to go to the postseason in three of his five years as a head coach. Of course, in 2017, his postseason trip ended with a Super Bowl victory, giving the Eagles their first championship in team history.

In the process of his run as a head coach (and even before), Pederson showcased his ability to coach quarterbacks, which is why many are excited to see him work with Lawrence. In Philadelphia, the Eagles invested a first-round selection into Carson Wentz and Pederson was able to get him to perform at an MVP level the year they won the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Wentz wasn’t able to finish that season due to an ACL tear, but Pederson made that season even more impressive as he was able to finish it with backup quarterback Nick Foles.

Of course, many football analysts haven’t forgotten how impressive of a season that was for the Eagles, including NBC Sports commentator and Pro Football Focus headman Cris Collinsworth. In an episode of the “Ari Meirov Football Show,” Collinsworth said he believes Pederson is the perfect match for Lawrence (or close to it), and as a result, the Jags will be set to make an extra jump this season after winning just three games.

“I think it’s a match made in heaven to be honest with you,” Collinsworth said. “It’s a great choice. Trevor is a tough kid. The only time I saw him in person last year was in Cincinnati on a Thursday night. He runs — he runs hard — and he has a real element of that. He’s going to have (Travis) Etienne come back sort of as his safety valve kind of guy who didn’t play at all last year. Do I think that they’re going to go and win the division? Probably not, but I would expect a major jump.”

[H/T to Clemson Insider for transcribing this]

Collinsworth is probably right about Pederson and Lawrence being a good match. After all, the Jags paired who analysts believe was the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck with a Super Bowl-winning coach that has played quarterback on the NFL level. Simply put, it’s hard to find a bunch of better options than that.

As for the support around Lawrence, it’s better than it was last season. As Collinsworth pointed out, Lawrence is getting back the running back who went to battle with him at Clemson in Travis Etienne. Additionally, the team added a receiver who can help them down the field in Christian Kirk, as well as a former All-Pro and Pro Bowl guard in Brandon Scherff.

With those additions, plus a few others, Lawrence at least has a good chance to double the Jags’ 2021 win total. Then maybe next season, we could really start to see him take off with Pederson as both will have a full season together under their belts.

Jaguars 2022 training camp preview: Quarterbacks

The Jags will enter camp with four quarterbacks, and of course, the most-watched one will be Trevor Lawrence.

With training camp two weeks away for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s time to start previewing every position on the roster. Of course, the place to start that process is the quarterback position because it’s the position that is the most important on the field.

Last season, the Jags were able to select Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick, giving the fanbase the type of elite prospect they’ve long needed to revitalize the franchise. Unfortunately, they didn’t pair him with the right coach out of the gate and ended up having to make a coaching change in December.

This time around, it appears they have a much better fit for the team in terms of the coaching change that was made as it should especially help Lawrence and the quarterbacks room as a whole. Here is a preview of the position as the Jags will enter camp with Lawrence and three other quarterbacks:

Trevor Lawrence makes CBS Sports’ top-10 bounce-back candidates list

The list of those who believe Trevor Lawrence will rebound in 2022 continues to grow.

There was a lot of excitement within the Jacksonville Jaguars’ fanbase when they drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall, but due to a dysfunctional situation around him, a lot of the excitement for the team quickly wore off. Luckily, Jags ownership understood that they made a terrible decision and made a coaching change by replacing Urban Meyer with Doug Pederson.

In Pederson, the Jags are getting a coach with NFL experience as a player (a quarterback to be exact), assistant coach, and head coach. They are also getting an offensive-minded coach who should mesh well with Lawrence and knows how to help young quarterbacks learn the game.

In addition to getting Lawrence a better coach and staff, general manager Trent Baalke added help on the player acquisition side, signing notables like Christian Kirk and Brandon Scherff on the offensive side. And with Travis Etienne now ready to take the field after rehabbing his foot injury from last preseason, Lawrence will also be getting a familiar target back from his days at Clemson to help him.

These are just some of the reasons many have listed Lawrence as a 2022 bounce-back candidate after a rough rookie season where he completed under 60% of his passes for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 17 picks. We can now include CBS Sports among the group that is high on Lawrence rebounding as they listed him among their top-10 bounce-back candidates.

Here is what analyst Cody Benjamin had to say about the second-year quarterback heading into this regular-season:

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence

The former No. 1 overall pick is still bound for growing pains, but everything around him is better in 2022. The line is improved with Brandon Scherff now on the interior, the skill groups are at least deeper, and best of all, his head coach is now an ally. It’ll be hard for Lawrence not to take a step forward under Doug Pederson after a listless rookie year.

Pederson may be the best acquisition on the team this offseason despite not being a player. The reason for that is because his background with quarterbacks includes coaching notables like Alex Smith, Michael Vick, and Carson Wentz, who performed at an MVP level in 2017.

Lawrence was regarded as the best prospect to enter the draft since Andrew Luck, which undoubtedly lured Pederson into Jacksonville. The two already appear to have a great relationship and will look to make it stronger in training camp, and if they do, Lawrence would be set to have a much better season than he did as a rookie.

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

Trevor Lawrence discusses new Gatorade bottle collaboration

Trevor Lawrence signed with Gatorade over a year ago, and now the two are pairing up again for a special collaborative product.

It’s been over a year since Trevor Lawrence became a Gatorade athlete, which is something most only can dream of. Now, a year later, the renowned sports drink company is allowing him and other professional athletes to inspire some up-and-coming athletes through a new collaboration.

Alongside Fernando Tatis Jr., Paige Bueckers, and Sydney McLaughlin, who are also next-generation athletes, Lawrence recently worked with Gatorade to design a bottle series called the Gx Fuel Tomorrow Collection. With this collection, Gatorade is looking to inspire the world’s next generation of athletes to chase their dreams, just as Lawrence did to make it to the NFL.

“To see my story brought to life on my first-ever Gatorade Gx bottle is such a special milestone for me,” Lawrence said, according to The Spun. “As a kid, I knew I always wanted to go pro and I hope my journey inspires the next generation to keep dreaming because you’re not that far away from making it a reality.”

Lawrence’s bottle design has both representations of the Jaguars (with spots and teal markings) and Clemson Tigers (with tiger stripes) on it. Lawrence told The Spun that the bottle reminded him of his days of going to practice as a kid with his dad, giving it a sentimental value in his eyes.

“We created a bottle – Gatorade and I. They helped design this, obviously. It has a Jaguar, tiger stripe, a bunch of different things that are personal to me,” he said. “I think the coolest thing is you see a road along the whole bottle. It reminds me of when I was a kid driving to practice with my dad every day. That’s something sentimental that I can look back on. The company brought that to life for me, and that’s just awesome.”

Lawrence signed his endorsement deal with Gatorade a little before last year’s draft, and it was one of his first before coming into the NFL. Lawrence said it was an easy choice after using their products throughout his career, and now they’ve given him a platform to influence others.

For those wanting to purchase a bottle, they can be bought using the link in the tweet at the top of this article. The price for one is $29.99, and it comes with a four-pack of Gx pods.

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

The Athletic explains why Trevor Lawrence is set to have a big year

The belief in Trevor Lawrence is growing by the week this offseason, and The Athletic has now joined the party. They listed Lawrence among their list of breakout players recently.

The Jacksonville Jaguars fanbase was pretty excited last season when the team selected Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick. However, he was brought into a very dysfunctional situation thanks to Urban Meyer, which didn’t make things easy on the rookie, who already was going to have a lot of learning to do as a first-year signal-caller.

However, 2022 marks a new start, and the Jags have a new head coach who has proven himself before in the NFL in Doug Pederson. That’s why many are high on Lawrence’s chances to rebound, including The Athletic’s Nate Tice.

In his breakout players list for the upcoming season, Tice listed Lawrence among 11 players. Here is what he had to say about the 2021 No. 1 pick, who has a much better situation around him heading into Year 2:

QB: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

The breakout candidates at the most important position in sports is essentially a pick ’em amongst the second-year crop.

I recently wrote about the 2021 quarterback class, and if I have to pick one of those players to take a leap this season, it’s Lawrence, the former No. 1 overall selection.

A steadier franchise situation with Doug Pederson as a head coach provides reason to be optimistic about Lawrence’s continued development, and even as a rookie, he showed promising glimpses as a processor while making his teammates better. Those positive plays should become more consistent for the Jaguars, who desperately need good vibes.

Tice is right about there being some flashes from Lawrence during a chaotic 2021 season. The most notable one was in the Jags season finale, where Lawrence aided the Jags to a stunning 26-11 victory. In that game, he was 23-of-32 (good for a career-high of 71.8%), threw two touchdown passes, and registered a 111.8 quarterback rating (also a career-high).

There were other moments where he shined in the spotlight, too, like in the Jags’ only primetime game of the season, which was against Cincinnati, and in their game in the United Kingdom against Miami, to name a few.

As for Pederson, he came into a good situation when considering the tools and talent that Lawrence has as a prospect. Some would say the former Clemson star has more potential than any quarterback Pederson has worked with, and if he can get Lawrence to fulfill his upside, the sky could be the limit for the Jags.

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

NFL executives rank Trevor Lawrence first among Year 2 QBs in ESPN survey

In a survey conducted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, executives ranked Trevor Lawrence first in terms of Year 2 quarterbacks heading into 2022.

Last year’s draft had many fans excited due to the quarterback talent it included. The Jacksonville Jaguars were aware more than any team because they held the No. 1 overall pick and used it on Trevor Lawrence, who was widely considered the top prospect in the draft.

After Lawrence was selected, four other quarterbacks were selected in the first round in Mac Jones, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Zach Wilson. There was also another rookie quarterback taken in the AFC South who received a lot of playtime, too, in third-rounder Davis Mills.

Heading into 2022, there are high hopes for each of the aforementioned quarterbacks from the 2021 class, as several of them will be starters again. That said, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler took on the task to rank them heading into this season by garnering the thoughts of multiple NFL coaches and scouts.

Despite a rough rookie year where he had to deal with a dysfunctional environment, Lawrence ranked first among the group as executives expressed confidence in his ability to bounce back. One scout told Fowler that the upcoming season would be Lawrence’s true rookie year thanks to having a normal workspace and that the personnel and schematic pieces are now there for him to take a step.

“This will be like his true rookie year,” said one AFC scout. “Hopefully not too many permanent scars from last year.”

“He didn’t have a chance last year,” the scout told Fowler. “But having [coach] Doug [Pederson] and new weapons will help him a ton. He needs support, both in personnel and schematically, and then the natural ability can take over. He should have that now.”

The Jags fired Urban Meyer last December as he wasn’t cut out for the NFL and didn’t understand the game like he should have, especially when it came to his players. Then over a month later, they hired a former Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson, who has a much better understanding of the players due to being a former player himself.

As for the roster additions, the Jags were super busy this offseason spending the most money in NFL free agency history. That included signing notable receivers for the offense like Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, as well as former All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff and tight end Evan Engram.

While none of the aforementioned skilled players are elite playmakers, they certainly are upgrades that Pederson can work with. After all, he didn’t have a bunch of elite names on his 2017 Super Bowl-winning roster but was able to mold them into an offensive powerhouse.

Fowler’s survey also had some executives who questioned Lawrence’s ability, with one coach stating that he expected more from the former Clemson star in 2021.

“I didn’t necessarily see a transcendent talent from him,” one NFL coach said. [He] didn’t look as explosive throwing or on the move as I expected.”

Regardless of his doubters in the league, all that matters is that Pederson believes in Lawrence. That’s clearly the case, as Lawrence was a big draw in the Jags’ coaching search.

Another positive is that Pederson is a coach who is a part of the hottest offensive coaching tree in the NFL right now, and that tree is the Andy Reid tree. When looking at the success the tree has had with Patrick Mahomes, Alex Smith, and others, Jags fans should have confidence that their franchise signal-caller is in good hands.

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

NFL.com says it’s time to hop on the Trevor Lawrence bandwagon

NFL.com’s Adam Schein believes it’s time for fans to hop on the Trevor Lawrence bandwagon.

Last season was one Jacksonville Jaguars fans want to put behind them despite going into things with a positive outlook. One reason for that was the fact that the team finally was able to grab an elite prospect at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who could take the team to new heights with the right pieces around him.

Unfortunately, the organization did the opposite last year and paired him with the wrong coach in Urban Meyer, who failed massively after trying out things in the NFL. As a result, Lawrence had a rough rookie season where he only registered a 59.6% completion rate (359-of-602) for 3,641 yards through the air, 12 touchdowns, and 17 picks.

Meyer’s horrendous tenure, which was filled with several incidents off the field, was cut short as a result. Then in February, a new Super Bowl-winning coach was hired to replace him in Doug Pederson.

This is a key reason fans are once again optimistic, and NFL.com’s Adam Schein shares those feelings. In a recent post, he listed Lawrence’s bandwagon as one of the top ones for fans to hop on heading into the upcoming season.

Here’s his explanation of why fans should be excited about Lawrence’s potential heading into the season:

At this time last year, Lawrence was thought to be The Next Big Thing. Then Urban Meyer suffocated the entire Jacksonville organization, simultaneously ruining the ultra-talented quarterback’s rookie campaign.

Well … Ding-dong, the witch is dead! In the wake of Meyer’s 13-game debacle, enter Doug Pederson. The former Eagles head man brings positivity, a proven track record of quarterback development and savvy play-calling chops. Oh, and a Super Bowl ring.

Schein also mentioned the Jags’ willingness to get Lawrence some help in free agency and the return of his Clemson teammate Travis Etienne.

The Jags’ decision to sign Pederson and pair him with Lawrence is a great reason for fans to jump on the second-year quarterback’s bandwagon. Pederson helped former Philadelphia Eagles first-round quarterback Carson Wentz look like an MVP caliber player in 2017, so elevating a prospect of Lawrence’s magnitude sounds even more intriguing.

As for the weapons the Jags added in free agency, the team signed two new receivers in Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. They also added a new pass-catching threat at tight end by signing Evan Engram. Then lastly, they were able to add an All-Pro to the offensive line in Brandon Scherff.

While most of those names aren’t household names, they are players who Pederson can make some noise with, especially with a talent like Lawrence at quarterback. After all, he flashed at times with a less talented group and dysfunction all around him, so taking a second-year leap like Wentz isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

Jags’ Trevor Lawrence ranked 21st on PFF’s top-25 under 25 list

Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season was far from perfect but the flashes he made didn’t go unnoticed, which is why he was named to PFF’s top-25 under 25 list.

After years of questionable quarterback performances, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally got lucky enough to select a bonafide quarterback prospect in 2021. Of course, that quarterback was Trevor Lawrence, who the Jags took with the No. 1 overall pick after acquiring the league’s worst record (1-15) in 2020.

Unfortunately, the organization made a huge mistake when it came to pairing him with the right coach as a rookie, and 2021 didn’t go as fans were hoping. At the same time, it allowed the rookie to showcase his mental toughness, and he passed that test with flying colors and even was able to have some eye-opening performances.

For the aforementioned reasons, Pro Football Focus named Lawrence to their top-25 players under 25 list this week. Here is what analyst Trevor Sikkema had to say about the second-year quarterback as he was slotted at the No. 21 spot.

21. QB TREVOR LAWRENCE, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Lawrence’s rookie season wasn’t the triumphant year many were hoping for from the No. 1 overall pick, with him tallying 3,600 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. But let’s be real, there’s no chance it was going to be under Urban Meyer and the circus that was the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. Among all the chaos, Lawrence still showed flashes of that special quarterback ability while navigating the typical NFL learning curve. With Doug Pederson now as his head coach, we’re expecting a huge leap from Lawrence in Year 2.

Lawrence’s struggles have been well documented on the web, but for whatever reasons, the flashes he showed haven’t been. They didn’t go unnoticed by Sikkema, though, who also feels Lawrence can take those positives and build from them alongside a new coach in Doug Pederson.

Pederson’s addition is one that’s being overlooked when it comes to what the Jags added this offseason. He’s an upgrade over Meyer because he has NFL experience as a player, NFL head coaching experience, and has a great understanding of NFL offenses and young quarterbacks.

While the talent around Lawrence is another thing to factor into his success heading forward, there could be enough talent around him to take a Year 2 leap. Some candidates who could be solid contributors for him include Travis Etienne, James Robinson (depending on his recovery), Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Dan Arnold, and Jamal Agnew, to name a few. Sure, those aren’t household names, but Pederson has been in this same position before, as his 2017 Philadelphia Eagles team didn’t have a lot of notable skill players at the time outside of Zach Ertz.