From the moment the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence first overall in 2021, he's had to deal with massive expectations. Not only has the former Clemson Tiger had to live up to his "generational talent" billing, but he's also done it while facing several roadblocks. But despite the hurdles, he's managed to turn into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
After his impressive 2025, Lawrence's future in Duval is no longer in doubt, and the consensus appears to agree that he's a top 10 quarterback. Not surprisingly, he goes early in a recent active players draft.
The active players draft proves the Jaguars have a franchise QB in Trevor Lawrence
Chad Reuter of NFL Media did a draft of active players and had Trevor Lawrence going to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 10.
Cinci took Lawrence because Joe Burrow went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 3. The first 10 picks were quarterbacks, showcasing the value of the position. Josh Allen went first, and Patrick Mahomes was second. Matthew Stanford, Drake Maye, Jordan Love, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert also had their names called.
"Cincinnati looks for Lawrence to finally reach his full potential as a former No. 1 overall pick one year after taking a big step in that direction by leading Jacksonville to a 13-4 record," Reuter wrote.
With Lawrence off the table, Jacksonville used the 24th selection on Bo Nix. While the Denver Broncos quarterback isn't in the same echelon as his Jaguars counterpart, he's an ascending talent who's flashed the past two years.
In case you were wondering how Reuter's draft worked, every team had its original pick from 2026 in the first round, and each of the following rounds had a snake format, meaning that the club that picked last in the prior round now chooses first.
The Jaguars wouldn't change Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence has shown at different times of his career that he can play at a high level, but he's been unable to do it on a consistent basis. No. 16 certainly played a role in that, but it hasn't helped that the Jaguars haven't put him in a position to succeed on a yearly basis.
As a rookie, Lawrence had the incompetent Urban Meyer as a head coach. He saw notable improvement under Doug Pederson, but he grew stagnant once Press Taylor took the reins of the offense.
With Liam Coen as the head coach, Lawrence once again showed that he could play at a high level, and he has everything going in his favor to build off his impressive 2025. No longer having to tweak his footwork or rehab injuries, the sixth-year quarterback can fully focus on mastering Coen's scheme. And with an improved supporting cast around him, he should be part of the MVP conversation early in 2026.
Despite his ups and downs, you can bet that the Jaguars wouldn't hesitate to draft Trevor Lawrence again if given the chance. Because as good as he was in 2025, the best is yet to come.
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