Ranking Jaguars 5 top offseason priorities after hiring Doug Pederson

No. 1 Jaguars’ offseason priority – Build around QB Trevor Lawrence.

Head coach Doug Pederson acknowledged that Trevor Lawrence was one of the reasons he accepted the job and it’s possible that most candidates in his position would have done the same. After all, not having to worry about finding a quarterback is a stress reliever and lets you focus on trying to win some football games.

Having said that, having a quarterback in place is only just half of the equation. If you don’t give him optimal protection up front or enough weapons, you are making his job more difficult and putting unnecessary pressure on his shoulders. That’s why the Jaguars need to ensure Lawrence’s supporting cast is top-notch. Also, they need to get him a good offensive coordinator to untap his potential.

The former Clemson Tiger showed in the Jaguars’ Week 18 game against the Indianapolis Colts that he can play at a high level. If the organization wants to see that kind of performance out of him more often, they will need to build around him this offseason. They already got him a head coach that can develop quarterbacks. They will next need to get him an offensive coordinator that can help him work on his craft.

The Jaguars are fortunate they don’t have to look for a quarterback this offseason but they cannot fail him the way they did last season. Sure, it was a different regime but there was no plan in place to develop him and he lacked weapons on offense. The team’s brass needs to pull off a 180-degree turn if they want their young passer to make a leap in Year 2.