If you want to compete in the NFL these days, you must have a top 10 quarterback. It’s true that football is a team sport but no other position impacts the game as much as signal-callers do. 30 years ago, you could either let your defense win games or build your offense around a formidable running back. That’s no longer the case as this has now become a passing league.
Nowadays, quarterbacks are a hot commodity in the NFL. The demand outweighs the supply. That’s why serviceable passers such as Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff get paid top dollar. Moreover, that’s one of the reasons (but not the only one) why the Jacksonville Jaguars have had just one winning season over the last ten years.
The Jags were aware that they need to get a top quarterback if they want to become a perennial playoff team. For that reason, they used the first overall pick in this year’s draft in Trevor Lawrence, one of the most talented passers to come out of the college ranks in recent years. The team’s brass was also aware they needed to surround their rookie signal-caller with as much talent as they could. They have spent the offseason adding depth and fortifying both sides of the ball.
Lawrence is arguably the most talented quarterback in Jacksonville. He’s also set to start in Week 1, but what about the rest of the Jaguars’ quarterback room? How’s the depth chart looking ahead of training camp? Here’s a look at the position.
How does the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback depth chart currently look?
The Jaguars gave up on former first-round quarterback Blake Bortles after the 2018 season. They still needed someone to take his place, so they signed Nick Foles in 2019’s offseason. The 2012 third-round pick helped the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England in Super Bowl 52, so it was fair to assume he could guide the Jaguars back to the AFC Championship.
However, Foles quickly dealt with injuries and proved to be ineffective, so Jacksonville turned to then-rookie Gardner Minshew II. The former Cougar went on to have a solid rookie campaign, completing 60.6 percent of his passes for 3,271 yards, to go along with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.
The Jaguars realized the mistake they made when they gave a four-year, $88 million contract to the 2013 Pro Bowl nod and traded him to the Chicago Bears for a ham sandwich last offseason. With Foles out of the picture, the Jaguars gave Minshew the chance to keep the starting job for good but he wasn’t able to recreate the success he had in 2019 and was eventually benched.
Keep in mind that Minshew wasn’t the only player in Jacksonville that struggled last season. Rookie Jake Luton and veteran Mike Glennon were also given a shot to show what they could do but neither one fared much better than Minshew.
This offseason, they moved on from Glennon and signed C.J. Beathard in free agency. However, the Jaguars’ most important addition to their quarterback room came in this year’s selection meeting. By virtue of having the worst record in the NFL last season, they clinched the top pick in the draft, which they used to select Trevor Lawrence.
Who will be on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster in Week 1?
Here’s how the Jaguars’ quarterback depth chart looks ahead of training camp.
- Trevor Lawrence
- Gardner Minshew
- C.J. Beathard
- Jake Luton
Barring serious injuries, Lawrence will be the Jaguars’ starter in the season opener. Minshew will be the primary backup and Beathard should have no trouble edging Luton for the third spot on the depth chart.
The coaching staff may want to keep developing Luton but there won’t be a roster spot for him, so he is a candidate for the practice squad. Earlier this year, teams inquired about Minshew’s availability. Had the Jags traded him, Beathard would then have become the number-two quarterback on the depth chart. However, head coach Urban Meyer told the local media that it wasn’t in the organization’s plans to deal the Washington State product.
Although there’s a small chance Jacksonville stills trades Minshew before the 2021 starts, it’s highly unlikely. He is one of the top backup quarterbacks in the NFL and one the coaching staff can trust in case Lawrence misses time.
Minshew wants to compete for a starting job, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, but could benefit from staying for another year in Jacksonville. He can work on his fundamentals and request a trade next offseason. Moreover, he can increase his value if he needs to step on the field and plays well.
If everything goes according to the plan, he will be the only quarterback to take snaps for the Jaguars in 2021 and the foreseeable future.