Trevor Lawrence didn’t play in last Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Canton, Ohio, but the former Clemson and current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback still made a major impression on an NFL analyst.
Chris Simms, who works for NBC Sports, came away “thoroughly impressed” after getting his first up-close look at Lawrence in person during warmups prior to the Hall of Fame Game.
Simms wrote about Lawrence on Twitter, praising his physique and mechanical improvements and saying what he saw from the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick “really changed my outlook for him.”
Simms — a former NFL quarterback who was a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft and played eight NFL seasons — wrote that he feels “much better” about Lawrence after seeing him last Thursday and that if he “keeps throwing the way he did Thursday night, big things are coming in Jacksonville.”
You can read Simms’ impressions of Lawrence below:
First off, what a specimen. He is the kind of QB you’d design in a lab. Got some thickness, but not too thick to affect his mobility.
And he has the neck of a middle linebacker. The Takeo Spikes of QBs. (2/4)— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) August 8, 2022
He’s got a strong arm, spins it to make it really catchable. I was thoroughly impressed and feel much better about him.
If Lawrence keeps throwing the way he did Thursday night, big things are coming in Jacksonville. (4/4)— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) August 8, 2022
As a rookie last season, Lawrence completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards and 12 touchdowns with 17 interceptions in 17 games.
Lawrence finished the season on a high note against the Indianapolis Colts in the final week of the regular season on Jan. 9, when he went 23-of-32 passing for 223 yards and threw for two touchdowns while leading his team to a 26-11 victory that eliminated the Colts from playoff contention.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that he plans to play the team’s starters a little bit in its second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at 7 p.m. Friday, including Lawrence and former Clemson running back Travis Etienne.
–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
