Jaguars HC Doug Pederson: Trevor Lawrence is like a sponge

Trevor Lawrence is right on schedule and has grown considerably since the conclusion of the 2021 season. Part of his development is due to his talent but having a better coaching staff and a better supporting cast has also played a role. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Podcast and talked about all the things that have helped Lawrence make a jump in Year 2.

“I think there’s a jump from Year 1 to Year 2 regardless of the scheme or system that you’re in”, Pederson said. “We’ve seen that, for him playing every game last year was a benefit obviously, to get a feel for the NFL and how the NFL operates, game speed and all that”.

“And now, it’s for us as a staff is just surrounding him with a lot of positive guys, obviously coaching him, teaching him, he’s like a sponge out there. He wants to learn and nothing’s perfect by any means. He’s still a work in progress. But he’s playing within himself and he’s relying on the guys around him”.

Even though Lawrence entered the NFL with the generational-talent label attached to him, he struggled as a rookie, completing 59.6 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, tied with Matthew Stafford for most in the league. However, the former Clemson Tiger has indeed made a jump this season.

n two games, Lawrence’s posted a 68.1 completion rate and has tallied 510 passing yards with three touchdowns and just one interception. Here’s Pederson’s sitdown with Rich Eisen, where he also discusses the ‘So Now, What Now?’ mantra.

The Jaguars have given Trevor Lawrence the tools to succeed

It’s on character for Pederson not to take credit for Lawrence’s performance and say that the young passer would have excelled regardless of the scheme he was in. But the truth is that Lawrence might not be flourishing if there were a different head coach in place, one that didn’t know how to untap his potential, and if the team’s brass hadn’t hit on most of their offseason acquisitions.

Lawrence has the drive, work ethic, and talent to become a top quarterback in the NFL. Of course, it’s too early to say he’s already there. In fact, Pederson was objective in his assessment when he said there’s work to do.

For starters, Lawrence hasn’t won an away yet in his short career. Also, he hasn’t yet shown he can go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes or ‘the other’ Josh Allen in a shootout. Last but not least, Jacksonville has won just a game in 2022 and there are 15 left on the schedule. Many things can happen between now and the season finale. Having said that, the Jaguars should be pleased with where he’s at in his development.

The Jags will fly to the West Coast to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3 and Lawrence wil have another chance to solidify himself as the long-term answer at quarterback in Jacksonville.