Jaguars should have no trouble getting Trevor Lawrence on right track

Looking back, hiring Urban Meyer as their head coach was one of the worst decisions the Jacksonville Jaguars have made in franchise (and maybe league) history. His predecessor, Doug Pederson, will be tasked with righting the ship and turning Trevor Lawrence into a productive quarterback. It will be no easy but if his track record is any indication, he’s up to the challenge.

Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the biggest questions each new NFL head coach will be facing in the 2022 season and wonders if Doug Pederson will be able to get Lawrence on the right track. Ballentine points out the former Clemson Tiger was seen as the top quarterback of the class and was supposed to help the Jaguars “rise out of the depths”. However, he went on to struggle and was outplayed by fellow rookie Davis Mills.

"It’s hard to separate what struggles were because of Lawrence and which came from his situation. Urban Meyer’s short, disastrous reign as head coach has been well-documented, and the roster was not set up to contend in 2021 anyway. In that regard, new head coach Doug Pederson is a good fit for the Jags. He has a proven track record and won a Super Bowl with a combination of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles at quarterback. The team has already spent big on offense in free agency. Brandon Scherff will bolster the offensive line, while Christian Kirk and Zay Jones are upgrades at receiver."

Lawrence was relatively solid early in the 2021 season but eventually hit a rookie wall, completing just 57.88 percent of his passes for 1,522 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions. However, he finished the season on a high note, going 23-of-32 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18.

The Jaguars helped Trevor Lawrence in different ways this offseason.

Pederson has a proven track record of both winning football games and developing quarterbacks. During his five-year stint as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he made the playoffs three consecutive times and helped them win their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Moreover, he played a pivotal role in Carson Wentz playing at an MVP level in just his second NFL campaign. Sure, he eventually regressed, but that was hardly Pederson’s fault.

Now, hiring Pederson was a first good step this offseason but it was just one of many the Jaguars have taken this offseason. The team’s brass also made upgrades to both the wide receivers corps and the offensive line. Last season, Lawrence was sacked 32 times and that number should go down in 2022.

Similarly, Lawrence didn’t have an outstanding group of skill-position players. The Jags corrected that this offseason with the additions of Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram. If that wasn’t enough, the Jags will have four picks (including the first overall) in the first three rounds of the draft. They should probably use some of those to keep revamping their offense.

The Jaguars and Doug Pederson will use all those additions to make sure Trevor Lawrence has a legitimate chance to win football games. It may them a while to truly turn the team around but the pieces are there to get out of the cellar and turn Lawrence into one of the best young passers in the NFL.