4 Jacksonville Jaguars who need to change their narrative in 2024

1. Trevor Lawrence, quarterback

There have been a string of debates on social media about whether Trevor Lawrence is a bust or a franchise quarterback. In case you missed the argument, critics point out that the former Clemson Tiger hasn't lived up to expectations since he was drafted first overall in 2021. To back up their claim, they compare his numbers to those of fellow first-round passers Daniel Jones and Mac Jones. The issue of solely relying on stats to make a case is that they're missing context.

Jones isn't nearly as accurate as Lawrence, and Jones has a limited ceiling. For his part, Lawrence had to put up with the Urban Meyer debacle as a rookie and he had to put the team on his shoulders last year. Without a running game or ideal protection, Lawrence was rushed to throw, with his quick release often masking the offensive line's shortcomings.

Without solid protection, Lawrence tried to do more, which led him to take more downfield shots instead of taking the checkdown or throwing it out of bounds. Similarly, he was at times reckless with the football, losing a concerning 12 fumbles.

Having said that, the Jaguars' inability to make the playoffs shouldn't fall exclusively on Lawrence's shoulders: The defense couldn't stop opposing teams from moving the ball at ease and his receivers dropped passes at the worst possible times. The offensive game plan didn't help either.

Imagine half those passes went for touchdowns. Nobody would question Lawrence's viability as a franchise quarterback. But you know what, you don't have to imagine. Back in 2022, played like a top-10 passer to finish the year, completing 69.7 percent of his passes for 1,2273 yards with 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions the last nine games. He then went on to lead Jacksonville to one of the biggest comebacks in NFL history.

Lawrence is still that player, and an improved offensive line should help him prove it next season.

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