Jimmy Smith: Jaguars are getting a winner in QB Trevor Lawrence

The Jacksonville Jaguars have undergone a rebuild this offseason and former wide receiver Jimmy Smith recently appeared on the Matt Lombardo Show to share his thoughts about the process. He also weighed in on some current NFL wide receivers, franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whom they drafted in this year’s selection meeting, and the Jags’ own wide receiver corps.

Smith told Matt Lombardo of FanSided that the Jaguars very fortunate to have Lawrence, as the quarterback has won on every level.

"They’re getting a winner, he’s won on every level. You’ve got a coach in Urban Meyer that has won on every level. You’ve got Tim Tebow coming in there, who’s won in every level. It’s a new beginning, our fans in Jacksonville have endured some hard years, and it hasn’t been fair to our fans."

Smith believes the Jaguars are a good fit for Lawrence, as he played in Clemson which isn’t far too from Jacksonville, and mentions the presence of former teammate Travis Etienne as a positive, “it’s right down the street, he’s within the same market of which he played in in college”. Later, Smith says the quarterback doesn’t have all the pieces around him yet, as it’s a process but everybody will soon find out what pieces the Jags are missing.

What does Jimmy Smith think of Jacksonville Jaguars WR Laviska Shenault?

Later in the conversation, Smith points out that sophomore Laviska Shenault Jr. wasn’t drafted by head coach Urban Meyer, so it will be interesting to see what kind of role he ends up getting since he inherited him. He then talks about the parallels between ‘Viska’ and his experience with former Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio.

Since Smith wasn’t drafted by Del Rio, there was friction between him and the former head coach, and mentions he wasn’t happy because he couldn’t form a connection. He says he doesn’t understand why Del Rio wouldn’t want an All-Pro wide receiver, “he wanted his own style of what he wanted as a head coach and he has a right to it, it’s his team”.

Going back to Shenault, Smith thinks that his role on the Jaguars’ offense will depend on what Meyer likes in his players and what he wants his offense to look like.

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars extend wide receiver DJ Chark?

Later in the show, Lombardo points out that DJ Chark Jr. is a top 15 wide receiver and asks Smith if the Jaguars should give him a contract extension. Smith says Chark is a good receiver but believes they need to wait, as there’s another player in the team that nobody is talking about but is going to be a monster, Collin Johnson.

Smith says he’s been talking to Johnson and supports him. He believes that Lawrence throwing passes to the sophomore wide receiver will be must-see television. Although the Texas product only hauled in 18 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie campaign, he did show flashes of playmaking prowess, so Smith’s endorsement doesn’t just come out of the blue.

On the show, Smith also weighs in on other wide receivers in the NFL, but it’s always interesting to hear what he has to say about the Jaguars’ current unit. Based on what he says, it looks like this Jacksonville team is set at the position and Lawrence will have plenty of weapons at his disposal.