After one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall in 2021. Following an impressive collegiate career, the former Clemson Tiger was dubbed a generational talent. And as such, he was expected to quickly turn the Jags into a contender. It didn't play out that way.
Lawrence struggled as a rookie — mostly because of the incompetent Urban Meyer — and has dealt with adversity throughout most of his career. Granted, he has been far from perfect, but up until 2025, No. 16 wasn't put in a position to succeed. Precisely because he's gone through several ups and downs throughout his stint in Duval, he's perfectly equipped to give advice to the hottest quarterback prospect ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trevor Lawrence says Fernando Mendoza is ready for the challenges that come with being the No. 1 overall pick
Trevor Lawrence had a sitdown with Andrew Perloff of Athlon Sports during Super Bowl Week and touched on a myriad of topics. He was asked what advice he would give to quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who's projected to go first overall in this year's draft. Here's what the No. 1 pick in 2021 had to say about the former Indiana standout.
"There are going to be a lot of challenges," Lawrence told Perloff. "The first year is a big learning curve. The way he carries himself has been impressive. I don't know him personally. But just be yourself and keep going to work every day and improving. You look up at the end of the season, I think you're going to see you've taken a lot of steps. Wins, losses, who knows. That takes a lot. It's a team game."
Like Lawrence, Mendoza will most likely land with a rebuilding team. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 1 selection and don't have a long-term answer at quarterback. Heck, they don't officially have a head coach yet after ousting Pete Caroll earlier this year, although they're expected to hire Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after the Super Bowl.
Still, the Raiders have one of the worst rosters in the whole NFL, and it may take them a couple years to turn things around. In the meantime, everything Mendoza does will be under the magnifying glass. Whenever he struggles, there will be chatter about him being a bust or Las Vegas making a mistake. Then again, that comes with the territory of being the top overall selection. And Lawrence knows that feeling perfectly.
Trevor Lawrence reminded everyone in 2025 why the Jaguars drafted him first overall
While Lawrence has struggled at times with consistency and decision-making at different points of his career, the Jaguars haven't always given him a good supporting cast. In his rookie season, he was throwing to the likes of draft bust Laquon Treadwell or tight end James O'Shaughnessy. Yes, those are real players who at some point suited up for the Jags. His offensive line has also left much to be desired at times, and the coaching wasn't much better.
Lawrence showed notable improvement under Doug Pederson in 2022. However, Pederson stopped getting involved in his quarterback's development and instead delegated the task to right-hand man Press Taylor, who did an inadequate job of maximizing Lawrence's talent.
The good news is that Lawrence has finally hit his stride under Liam Coen. Even though he came up short of winning the MVP and Comeback Player of the Year at the NFL Honors, his play in 2025 reminded everyone why Jacksonville drafted him first overall in 2021. There's a chance that Fernando Mendoza will walk a similar path.
It won't always be pretty, but if Fernando Mendoza goes through an arc like the one Trevor Lawrence had, the Raiders will end up with a pretty good quarterback.