Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 players who must get off to hot start in 2021

Jacksonville Jaguars player No. 5 – QB Trevor Lawrence

All eyes will be on quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the season opener, which isn’t surprising when you take into account that he was the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. As paramount as the rest of the players on this list to the Jaguars’ success will be, none of them are as important as the Clemson product.

Nobody in his right mind will argue that Lawrence is the most talented quarterback to come out of the college ranks since Andrew Luck in 2012. Nevertheless, several talking heads have already questioned the Jags’ decision to draft him and believe Justin Fields or Zach Wilson are better even though none of them have taken a snap behind center in the regular season. If the former Tiger is off to a slow start, the scrutiny will only continue.

Putting aside opinions, Lawrence must play at a high level. On the bright side, he won’t have to put the team on his shoulders, at least not yet. The Jaguars’ brass has put together a well-rounded group of skill position players, led by wide receivers DJ Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., and Marvin Jones Jr. Also, the team will lean on running back James Robinson once again.

Lawrence doesn’t have to play like an upper-echelon quarterback in his rookie year but he will need to make plays more often than not and avoid making big mistakes. If he does, the Jaguars will be able to play competitive football on a consistent basis.