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

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to put Lawrence in a position to succeed.

Mike Tanier wonders what will happen if Lawrence takes time to develop. He points out that it took a while for Alex Smith to find his footing in the NFL and brings up the fact the New York Jets just traded Sam Darnold, whom they drafted just three years ago.

No NFL quarterback is the same and while some can have an impact right out of the gate, some take time to develop. Lawrence could fall in the latter category but if the Jaguars surround him with talent, they should be alright as long as he isn’t a colossal bust, which is highly unlikely.

Of course, the Jags expect Lawrence to be great, but nobody knows how it will play out. Then again, he doesn’t have to be a Hall of Famer. Tanier names Carson Palmer, Matthew Stafford, Drew Bledsoe, and Eli Manning as good quarterbacks that thrived in the NFL and went on to have successful careers.

Nobody is saying the Jaguars should settle for good, but even if Lawrence doesn’t turn into a top 3 quarterback, this Jacksonville team could make some noise. Think about it, the last time the Jags had a “good” quarterback, they made a deep playoff run and played in the AFC Championship game in 2017. Before that, David Garrard led them to a divisional playoff game after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round in the 2007 season.

Lawrence has the potential to be significantly better than both Garrard and Blake Bortles even if he doesn’t become an All-Pro quarterback. On the other hand, the Jaguars need to surround him with a talented team the way they did with both Garrard and Bortles. As long as they set reasonable expectations and see Lawrence as an important part of the team rather than their savior, they should have sustainable success on the field for years to come.