You could make the case that no other player will be as important for the Jacksonville Jaguars' success next season as Trevor Lawrence. Sure, they'll need Travis Hunter to make an impact right off the bat, and Brian Thomas Jr. is expected to pick up where he left off last year. That said, No. 16 will need to take his game to the next level if the Jags want to make noise in 2025. Based on a recent quarterback ranking, he's got his work cut out.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports drew up a quarterback ranking and placed Lawrence on Tier 4, pointing out that he's got the tools to succeed in 2025 but has yet to live up to expectations after being drafted first overall in 2021.
Four years after going No. 1 overall, Lawrence is under pressure to justify the Jacksonville Jaguars' lucrative investment in his services," Benjamin wrote. "He's got a snappy arm and flashy young wideouts in Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, but hopefully new coach Liam Coen can also help him make sharper decisions.
For context, the first three tiers had 18 quarterbacks, and Benjamin included Aaron Rodgers before Lawrence. That means he's more or less No. 20 in the ranking. This isn't very different from PFF's list, where he earned the 16th spot. Chris Simms of NBC Sports, on the other hand, has him around the same range, pointing out that the former Clemson Tiger could be fighting for his future in 2025.
"Lawrence is one of the most difficult players to rank because there is "unbelievable talent" but "way too many missed throws." New head coach Liam Coen has arrived in Jacksonville and will attempt to fix his franchise quarterback. However, at the end of the day, "it's going to be on [Lawrence]," Simms argued.
Trevor Lawrence needs to show the Jaguars he's their long-term answer at QB
After a rocky rookie season, Trevor Lawrence proved that he could play at a high level in 2022. However, injuries and an underwhelming supporting cast have held him back the past two years. Under head coach Liam Coen, the fifth-year quarterback is expected to bounce back.
Lawrence's mechanics and decision-making weren't great last year. Some of that was due to Doug Pederson, who no longer showed interest in working with his quarterback. That said, you cannot solely pin the blame on the former Jaguars head coach. Either way, the team's brass attempted to remedy the issue when they hired Coen.
Apart from getting him a coach who is invested in his development, the Jaguars also made upgrades to Lawrence's supporting cast. Besides Brian Thomas Jr., he'll get to toss passes to Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter. Moreover, the front office gave the offensive line a much-needed makeover, so the fifth-year quarterback will have ample time to drop back in the pocket.
Of course, Lawrence also has to do his part. Mainly, he'll need to show that he can stay healthy. He's currently recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered last year. So far, it's going well despite the fact that he was wearing a sleeve during offseason workouts.
Ultimately, if things go as planned, Trevor Lawrence will remind everyone just how good a player he is. In turn, he'll move up several spots in quarterback rankings, and the Jacksonville Jaguars will win more games next season.