Jacksonville Jaguars: 4 bold predictions ahead of the 2021 season

2. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence will win the OROY award.

This is not necessarily a bold prediction when you take into account how talented Trevor Lawrence is. The Clemson product has the physical tools and the current mindset to thrive in the NFL. Although he has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game, he’s simply too gifted to become a bust.

The Jaguars are aware they have a special one in Lawrence, and they know that he alone can’t win games, so they have spent the offseason fortifying most positional groups. Marvin Jones joined an already talented wide receiver corps, and the team’s brass used a first-round selection on Travis Etienne. The former Tiger, along with sophomore James Robinson, will give Jacksonville a dynamic running back tandem.

Lawrence won’t have to carry the team on his shoulders right off the bat. Instead, the Jags will bring him along slowly and take the training wheels off whenever he’s ready, which could be by the middle of the 2021 season. Then, the first-year quarterback will take the reins and be the focal point of the Jags’ offense. He will struggle at times, just like any rookie, but he will also show why he was the clear-cut top pick in this year’s draft.

Looking at the level of talent around him and the Jaguars’ schedule in 2021, Lawrence will be able to put up solid numbers as a rookie. Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated sees the quarterback logging 4,200 yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and ten or fewer interceptions.

That is better than his fellow first-year quarterbacks and should be enough to earn the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Keep in mind that Orr isn’t the only one who foresees that Lawrence will win the hardware. In fact, his projection shows he’s a trendy pick to go home with it.