The Jacksonville Jaguars have lured Urban Meyer out of retirement, giving him his first coaching job at the NFL level, a post that comes along with tons of valuable resources with which to attempt a daunting rebuild.
The biggest one? The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, a selection that has seemingly been earmarked for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence since the moment he stepped on the field for the Tigers as a freshman.
But with Meyer now calling the shots in Jacksonville, is there a chance the Jags could actually pass up one of the most anticipated and highly regarded quarterback prospects in draft history?
Meyer certainly seems to be leaving the door open to that possibility, putting Ohio State’s Justin Fields and even BYU’s Zach Wilson in the same sentence (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero):
Asked about QBs in the 2021 draft, Urban Meyer name-checks Trevor Lawrence … and Justin Fields … and Zach Wilson. Says drafting one will be the biggest decision he makes. He has been studying them and sees elite players.
So … we officially have drama with the No. 1 pick.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 15, 2021
While some will point out that Meyer could simply be keeping his cards close to the vest, there’s really no reason to do that when you hold the No. 1 overall pick.
Others might draw a connection between Fields and Meyer, considering the latter’s history with the Buckeyes. But Meyer left Columbus after the 2018 season, the year before Fields transferred from Georgia to Ohio State. Meyer might have some inside intel from current OSU head coach Ryan Day, but that might be the extent of any inside track Fields might have over Lawrence for the top spot in this year’s draft.
This might be a constant storyline throughout the predraft process if Meyer continues to remain vague about the team’s intentions, but when the Jags actually go on the clock in April, don’t be surprised if there’s no drama whatsoever, and Lawrence is the pick.
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