AFC South quarterback power ranking: Who's got the edge in training camp?
• There's a quarterback battle brewing in Indianapolis
• How long will Ryan Tannehill will be QB1 for the Tennessee Titans?
1. AFC South training camp power ranking: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
You could make the case that this ranking is biased but the truth is that Trevor Lawrence deserves the top spot. Is he a top-5 quarterback? That's debatable, as he fluctuates from the fourth-best passer in the league to the 10th best depending on whom you ask.
Most analysts that give Lawrence a spot below No. 7 make a valid point. He's truly played just half a season of good football. Sure, he was solid early in 2022 but he also made several costly mistakes. He only began to play significantly better after the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, he needs to do it on a consistent basis. The question is, can he do it? Totally.
Urban Meyer derailed Lawrence's rookie season and Doug Pederson had to start over with him when he became the head coach for the Jaguars. Lawrence responded and showed considerably under Pederson's tutelage and should have a firmer grasp of the offense in Year 3.
On top of that, Lawrence now has a bonafide No. 1 receiver in Calvin Ridley, who should give the offense another dimension. With that out of the way, the next question is if he's truly a realistic MVP candidate. That's a bit more difficult to answer but talking heads such as Stephen A. Smith of ESPN or Nick Wright of FS1 believe he has a favorable chance.
But even if Lawrence isn't league MVP in 2023, he should still be the best quarterback in the AFC South, which is why he claims the top spot in this ranking.
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