Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence ranked higher than several veteran QBs

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence ranked surprisingly high on a recent list.

Trevor Lawrence is one of the most talented quarterback prospects in recent years. However, most analysts would most likely want to see the rookie play in a regular-season game before ranking him ahead of other veteran passers. Bruce Gradkowski of Pro Football Focus is not like most analysts and he has a favorable view of the top pick in 2021’s draft.

Gradkowski recently ranked all starting quarterbacks in the NFL ahead of training camp and Lawrence popped up at 21. Although this isn’t something to brag about, it’s particularly amusing, since the former Tiger landed one spot ahead of veteran Jimmy Garappolo and one of Carson Wentz. Moreover, fellow rookie passer Justin Fields showed up at 25, so the Jaguars should feel pretty good about their quarterback situation heading into the 2021 season.

Trevor Lawrence is the “perfect fit” for the Jacksonville Jaguars offense.

Gradkowski cites Lawrence’s 34-2 record at Clemson and his three College Football Playoff appearances as one of the reasons for his spot in the ranking. He says the former Tiger “has been the best player at every level of football he has played” but wonders if he will be able to sustain that level of success in the NFL.

Later in the analysis, Gradkowski points out that Lawrence is the only quarterback in PFF’s college era to post a 90.0 overall grade as a freshman. He believes the 2020 ACC Player of the Year is the perfect fit for Jaguars offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, whose system should help the quarterback reach his NFL potential.

"Bevell used a lot of play-action pass in Detroit — these concepts are easy for a young quarterback to read out with pure progressions and reliable check downs."

There’s a reason why the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence.

The Jaguars have to find the right balance when it comes to Lawrence. They shouldn’t put too much on the table but they can’t pamper him either. After all, he was the top pick in this year’s draft for a reason. He can make all the throws and he has the emotional intelligence to cope with all the obstacles he will face during the transition to the NFL.

So far, Lawrence’s has done a good job aclimmating himself to the NFL. He had a few bad practices during the organized team activities but that’s expected from any player that is making an adjustment. Also, he suffered a hamstring injury that limited his participation during veteran minicamp. The team held him back but he should be ready for training camp.

The Jaguars haven’t officially named Lawrence the starter yet but there’s little doubt he will be behind center in Week 1, barring injuries. He will experince growing pains in his first season in the NFL but he should instantly make the Jags a better team. That’s how talented he is. The fact Gradkowski ranked him higher than established veterans speaks volumes about him.