5 potential Jacksonville Jaguars scapegoats if things go wrong in 2022

No. 2 Jaguars potential scapegoat if things go wrong: Trevor Lawrence

Finding a franchise quarterback is hard, whether you look for him in free agency or the draft. After all, it’s rare for signal-callers to be available in the open market but whenever they are, there’s a high demand for their services. Your chances of landing one in the draft aren’t much better. The success rate is less than 50 percent in the first round and it progressively decreases in each subsequent round.

The same is true if you want to acquire a quarterback via trade. Not only do you have to give him a top-market contract but you must also give up massive compensation. Both the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos had to part way with premium picks and a handful of players to get Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, respectively. Fortunately, the Jaguars don’t have to worry about the quarterback position due to the presence of Trevor Lawrence… at least in the short term.

Lawrence was slapped with the “generational prospect” label coming out of college and he showed promise in spite of the Urban Meyer debacle last season. In fact, the former Clemson Tiger made several jaw-dropping throws and displayed flashes of talent that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. That’s why he’s expected to take a significant leap in Year 2, but what if he fails to live up to expectations?

The Jaguars got Lawrence a better supporting cast this offseason and they wouldn’t just give up on him if he struggles. However, he would certainly enter his third NFL season with plenty of pressure to show he’s the long-term answer at quarterback.