Jaguars 2021 NFL Draft: What if QB Trevor Lawrence isn’t great?

All signs point to the Jacksonville Jaguars taking Trevor Lawerence with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but what if the Clemson standout doesn’t turn into the franchise quarterback the team has lacked and needs?

Mike Tanier of FanSided recently pondered the possibility of Lawrence being just good, not great. He says that for every Troy Aikman and Payton Manning, there is a Tim Couch and David Carr. He adds that there are quarterbacks that fall in the middle, such as Cam Newton or Carson Palmer, who ended up being merely good.

Tanier goes on to explain in detail that there are many factors that will determine whether Lawrence succeeds in the NFL or not. He says the Jaguars need to put him in a position to succeed and cites Carr as an example. The Houston Texans failed to protect the first overall selection in the 2002 draft and was sacked 208 times in his first four NFL seasons.

Later in the article, Tanier argues that the Jaguars are currently a bad team, one that could ruin Lawrence. He mentions that Urban Meyer could turn into the next Jimmy Johnson or the next Steve Spurrier, and points out the former Florida and Ohio State head coach doesn’t have a good record of sticking with teams when the situation gets tough.