NFL offseason power rankings: No. 19 Jacksonville Jaguars have faith in Trevor Lawrence


Trevor Lawrence is now paid as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. (Yahoo Sports/Taylor Wilhelm)

Other NFL team previews: 32. Panthers | 31. Patriots | 30. Broncos | 29. Commanders | 28. Giants | 27. Titans | 26. Raiders | 25. Cardinals | 24. Saints | 23. Chargers | 22. Vikings | 21. Seahawks | 20. Buccaneers

If you criticize Trevor Lawrence, prepare to argue your case.

There are many Lawrence guardians on social media who will perk up when the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback’s up-and-down NFL journey is mentioned. They’ll blame Lawrence’s supporting cast and cite the number of drops by his receivers. They’ll even bring up his rookie season being coached by the utterly incompetent Urban Meyer, though that debacle seems like eons ago. Lawrence’s 2023 ankle injury, which happened when the Jaguars were 8-3 last season and led to a late-season collapse, will also be brought up. Those excuses are valid.

But we weren’t supposed to still be debating Lawrence by the end of his third season.

Everyone who goes No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft will inevitably be called a generational prospect, but Lawrence really was one. He was Joe Namath, John Elway, Andrew Luck. Prospects who get to that stratosphere very rarely wash out. And while nobody is calling Lawrence a bust after three inconsistent seasons, it’s hard to figure out what he is. The Jaguars paid him this offseason like he’s already in the inner circle of elite quarterbacks, with a five-year, $275 million extension. You don’t pay a player that way unless you’re sold on him, but at least a small part of it had to be that the Jaguars were backed into a corner. They weren’t going to risk waiting with Lawrence. It’s not like they were going to let him walk in free agency just a few years after drafting him brought new life to the franchise, and a big (or maybe even average) 2024 was only going to drive up the price.

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But has Lawrence performed like a…


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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-07-05 12:27:06

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