The 2021 draft class was labeled as the “quarterbacks class” by many as there were five signal-callers taken in Round 1. All of those players were also taken within the top-15 picks, including the Jags’ selection with the No. 1 overall pick in Trevor Lawrence.
Of course, with Lawrence being taken alongside Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones, several fans will be watching to see which signal-caller has the better career. A key component to that will be how each quarterback’s respective teams build around them as they all are going to unique, yet, different situations.
However, if the season were to start today, CBS Sports took it upon themselves to rank each Round 1 quarterback situation. Of course, with the Jags registering one win in 2020, Lawrence didn’t come in at the top of the list but instead came in at No. 4 with Zach Wilson being the only quarterback to have a worse ranking.
Skill-position group: 3rd
Offensive line: 4th
Play caller: 3rd
Defense: 5thTotal points: 104
Jacksonville is in the midst of an organizational overhaul with Urban Meyer and Lawrence at the center of it. Meyer himself was on the cutting edge of offensive advancement as a college coach. He did have a drastic talent advantage in the vast majority of games in which he coached. Jaguars offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell became an established, mostly good offensive coordinator during his stints in Minnesota and Seattle. Never was he considered high-end, and he had a history of being run-heavy.
Lawrence should feel content with his skill-position group. D.J. Chark is one of the league’s budding young stars on the perimeter, and Laviska Shenault forced more missed tackles than each of D.J. Moore, Terry McLaurin, and Justin Jefferson last season. Can’t forget about the criminally underrated Marvin Jones. He had the same contested-catch conversion rate (16 of 25) as A.J. Brown in 2020. Then there’s the backfield of Round 1 pick Travis Etienne and, oh yeah, 1,000-yard back James Robinson. It’s a formidable group, no doubt.
The offensive line is a major work in progress, especially on the edges, and the defense is decidedly the worst any rookie quarterback has. The Jaguars defense finished 31st in Football Outsiders defensive DVOA a year ago and will have to rely on their second, third, and fourth-round picks (cornerback Tyson Campbell, safety Andre Cisco, and defensive tackle Jay Tufele) to bolster that unit. Tough ask.
When considering the rosters that New England, Chicago, and San Francisco have around their quarterbacks, fourth is the right place for Lawrence’s situation. The argument could be made that all three of the teams ahead of Jacksonville are playoff contenders and teams who have a lot of pieces in place to aid their signal-callers.
As for Lawrence, having the fourth-best situation may not necessarily be a bad thing when considering the skill weapons around him. As mentioned, DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, Marvin Jones, and James Robinson aren’t a bad group to start with in Lawrence’s case. In fact, it’s better than some of the groups that veteran signal-callers have.
Last week on “Bleav in the Jags,” we compared Wilson’s supporting cast to Lawrence’s and concluded that Lawrence was in better shape. While CBS ranked Wilson’s offensive line ahead of the Jags in their article, we made the argument that the Jags’ group was more experienced and that they were a group that played many games together. That said, with a more decisive quarterback behind them in Lawrence, the group could take a step forward in 2021.