Jacksonville Jaguars: NFL executives weigh in on Trevor Lawrence

The Jacksonville Jaguars checked another box on their offseason list when they named Trevor Lawrence their starting quarterback. Several NFL executives recently talked about the challenges the rookie passer will face in 2021. 

In his most recent weekly column, Matt Lombardo of FanSided asked several executives around the league to share their opinion about Lawrence. One believes that he’s not in an optimal situation to succeed.

"Lawrence is in a spot where he’s forced to start right away. And doesn’t have any talent around him. He’s going to get beat up. He’s going to struggle."

Another veteran talent evaluation echoes the thought but thinks that he has the mental fortitude to handle it.

"If I were in Jacksonville, I’d let Lawrence start right away, let him get beat up a lot, and hope he gets through it and grows from it. He has to play day one. I think he’ll really struggle, but mentally, he’s a kid who can handle it."

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

The Jaguars drafted Lawrence because they believe he’s the franchise quarterback they have sorely needed. They have spent the last few months fortifying the roster and making sure he’s in a position to succeed right off the bat. Nevertheless, there’s only so much a team can do in one offseason. It’s easy to forget that the Jags were devoid of playmakers last year and they are in the early stages of a rebuild.

Head coach Urban Meyer expects this to be a one-year rebuild and maybe that will turn out to be the case, but it’s unrealistic to expect the Jaguars to become a playoff contender in Year 1. In spite of all the changes they made, they have their work cut out.

The Jags have struggled to run the ball and have had a hard time stopping the opposing quarterbacks from throwing the ball. Furthermore, the offensive line has failed to protect Lawrence, so it’s easy to see why executives around the league think he could have a rough campaign.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have also taken steps in the right direction.

On the other hand, there are a few reasons for optimism. The Jaguars have a well-rounded wide receiver corps, so the former Clemson Tiger won’t be short of weapons. Also, the coaching staff should get the running game going by Week 1 of the regular season. Even though rookie Travis Etienne is out for the year, James Robinson showed in 2020 that he can carry a big workload.

Meyer told the local media the team was disappointed with their inability to run the ball against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the preseason. He says that he went over the game and realized that perimeter blocking issues and missed assignments were the reason behind their inability to run the ball. If the coaching staff can take care of that, the Jaguars will be able to kick start their rushing attack.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Jaguars need to figure out what’s stopping them from performing at a high level. The team’s brass made several additions to the secondary this offseason, so a dearth of talent isn’t the reason why they have struggled against the pass over the last two preseason games. The coaching staff has a bit of time to fix whatever’s not working.

Trevor Lawrence isn’t in a perfect situation but that doesn’t mean he can have success as a rookie. He may not be in a perfect situation but the same can be said about most quarterbacks selected first overall. Selecting him was one of many steps, not the only one, the Jaguars had to take to turn things around, so growing pains are expected along the way.