Jaguars roster: Who’s overachieving, underperforming so far in 2022?

Jaguars underachiever No. 1 in 2022: Trevor Lawrence, QB

Ah yes, the great debate over the course of the last season. Is Trevor Lawrence just hype or is he just a slow progressor? However you look at it, he has underperformed through the first seven games.

The good news is that we have seen glimpses of what got everyone excited at the start of the 2021 season, but after four straight losses and more of what we saw last year appearing it makes you wonder what direction Lawrence is heading in his career. Currently, he sits with 12 touchdowns (nine passing and three rushing) and four turnovers (four interceptions and four fumbles). In three of the losses, the game was in Lawrence’s, and all three of those games ended in a turnover.

His offensive line, for the most part, has done a fairly well job in keeping him safe allowing 10 sacks in seven games, and in four of those contests, he wasn’t sacked once. Lawrence struggles to stay consistent with uncatchable passes and forces the ball at times. It is easy to say that he has improved overall from his rookie season, but it is just as easy to question some of his decision-making.

Lawrence’s current grade has him as the 28th overall quarterback out of the 36 graded this season. As he learns head coach Doug Pederson’s offense as the season goes on I do believe he will begin making strides (he’s already shown growth in the last two games), but he still has a long way to go.

Closing thoughts

Yes, it is frustrating as a fan to find certain players to blame for the losses this season, however, the team is one of the youngest in the entire league. A new head coach still grasping how to utilize his roster takes time and all signs are pointing upward after two straight seasons of being the worst team in the league. Hopes for a 2017 Cinderella season to repeat are not likely this season as the team works out of the rebuild phase and into a contender.

The Jaguars are fortunate to be in a division that they still could potentially win, but the team has to learn how to close out the games. One positive note, even sitting at 2-5, is every game has been winnable and the team has been competitive to the very end. Last season the Jags lost ten games by at least two scores, this season their four losses have come within one score.