Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence getting tons of recognition ahead of 2023 season

Trevor Lawrence was no doubt a big reason for the Jacksonville Jaguars' turnaround last year. Heading into the 2023 season, he's rightly getting recognized as a top-10 quarterback but how does he stack up against his peers? It depends on who you ask but Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports believes Lawrence is the seventh-best signal-caller in the league right now.

Benjamin ranked the top 10 quarterbacks in the league ahead of the regular season and placed Lawrence at No. 7, noting that he's flirting with MVP territory after the addition of Calvin Ridley to the wide receiver corps.

"Of the top 10 QBs here, Lawrence benefits most from projection. But if he went from overmatched and unsupported as a rookie to decisive and aggressive as a sophomore, the former No. 1 overall pick is now poised to sniff MVP territory under Doug Pederson and alongside new No. 1 wideout Calvin Ridley. "

Benjamin goes on to praise Lawrence's accuracy and his ability to put the football in tight windows. Moreover, he believes he can make yet another leap after improving considerably in 2022, and he's right. After an underwhelming rookie season, the Jaguars' brass got Lawrence a head coach that actually know what he was doing and was going to help him untap his potential. Enter Doug Pederson.

Not only did Pederson helped the former Clemson Tiger fix his mechanics but also taught him how to become a better leader and everything he needs to do as the face of the franchise. On the other hand, general manager Trent Baalke also did a good job of making upgrades to Lawrence's supporting cast and putting him in a position to succeed.

Baalke signed wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in free agency. He also bolstered the Jaguars' tight end with the addition of Evan Engram and fortified the offensive line when he brought in former Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is in a position to keep improving in 2023

While Lawrence's leap in 2023 won't be as big as the one he did last year, it will still be notable. More specifically, he should cut down on the number of costly mistakes. Early in the 2022 season, the Jaguars had a chance to win a few games but Lawrence couldn't come through. But he then put it all together and played a huge role in Jacksonville winning six of their last seven games.

Now, Lawrence is more comfortable in Pederson's system and has much better rapport with Jones, Kirk and Calvin Ridley, who landed with the Jags last year but couldn't practice with them until he was reinstated last March.

The one thing that could hold Lawrence and the Jaguars back in 2023 is the offensive line, which has undergone a few changes since the end of the 2021 season. Gone is right tackle Jawaan Taylor and in is rookie Anton Harrion. Walker Little will fill in for Cam Robinson at left tackle while he serves a suspension for PED violations and left guard Ben Bartch may or may not be ready for the start of training camp.

The silver lining is that the team's brass will find ways to succeed even if the offensive line struggles a bit. If there's one thing Lawrence and Jaguars showed in 2022 is that they're resilient and will overcome whatever obstacles they'll encounter next season.

The bottom line is that the Trevor Lawrence is getting widespread recognition as one of the best quarterbacks in the league and nobody should be shocked if he regularly pops up in the top 5 next season.

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