Trevor Lawrence snubbed as fellow AFC South QB overhypes himself

The Houston Texans supplanted the Jacksonville Jaguars as the team to beat in the AFC South. One big reason was the play of C.J. Stroud. Coming off a successful rookie campaign, the second overall pick in 2023 is one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL right now. As a result, he was asked to share his thoughts on who are the best signal-callers heading into the 2024 season. Some of his choices weren't surprising but there was a glaring omission.

Stroud recently named his top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL. He included himself, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. Surprisingly, he didn't think Trevor Lawrence was worthy of inclusion.

The list isn't necessarily controversial. Patrick Mahomes is without a doubt the best signal-caller in the league. Josh Allen, for his part, has routinely been mentioned as a top-3 quarterback. Lamar Jackson is coming off an MVP season and Dak Prescott is as good as they come, even if his playoff record leaves much to be desired.

Having said that, it's a bit surprising to see Stroud snub hand. On one hand, they're division rivals, so this could be seen as a jab. On the other hand, the Ohio State product saw first-hand what the Jaguars quarterback is capable of doing, so it's a bit odd that he doesn't have higher praise for Steezy Trev.

In fact, just one season before Stroud landed in the NFL, Lawrence was the media's darling. After exceeding expectations in 2022, the former Clemson Tiger was expected to join the top echelon of quarterbacks last season. He was off to a strong start but he faded down the stretch. While he contributed to the Jaguars' collapse, injuries and the dearth of playmakers across the roster played a bigger role.

Lawrence is now entering Year 4 and should have no trouble picking up where he left off in 2022. He's got a much better-supporting cast than he did in 2023. On top of that, he's healthy after dealing with injuries for most of the second half of the season.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence will have a chance to outshine CJ Stroud

Make no mistake, C.J. Stroud had an outstanding rookie season, completing 63.94 percent of his passes for 4,1082 yards with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Veteran quarterbacks would love to put up that kind of numbers. With one year of experience under his belt, he should be even better in 2024. That said, it's too early to anoint him as a top-5 quarterback.

In his defense, Stroud was asked to name himself when he listed his five best passers. Moreover, his surplus of confidence should be commended. On the other hand, he and the rest of the league shouldn't overlook Lawrence. He's already proved he can play at an elite level. Even last year, when he was "underwhelming", he routinely put the Jaguars in a position to succeed.

It's true that Lawrence needs to reduce his number of turnovers, but his 2023 numbers would've looked much better if his receivers hadn't dropped what were likely touchdowns.

Now, the Jaguars and Lawrence will have a steep hill to climb to regain control of the AFC South, but they should have as good a chance as Stroud and the Texans. Back in 2022, Steezy Trev showed what he could do when he had a well-rounded supporting cast. The front office made sure he got one for 2024.

The bottom line is that both C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence are talented quarterbacks. The 2024 should give us a better picture of where they stand in the quarterback landscape.

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