Although Trevor Lawrence had previously shown that he can play at a high level, he was under pressure to prove that he was the franchise quarterback the Jacksonville Jaguars envisioned when they drafted him first overall in 2021. He came through.
Coming off an injury-marred season, Lawrence had to rehab his shoulder while learning the Liam Coen offense, the most complex he's been in throughout his football career. Couple that with the fact that he also tweaked his footwork, and he had his work cut out. However, the former Clemson Tiger remained unfazed in spite of the challenges and went on to have a banner season.
Following his impressive 2025 campaign, Lawrence has rejoined a select group of quarterbacks.
Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence was dubbed a top-10 quarterback in NFL Spin Zone's ranking
Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL and put Trevor Lawrence at No. 10, arguing that he showed substantial improvement under Liam Coen.
"Trevor Lawrence finished the 2025 season as an MVP candidate, as he was truly playing elite football down the stretch," Scataglia wrote. "In year one of the Liam Coen era, the Jaguars made a top of positive strides, and most importantly, this team finally seems to have some solution to work with here in the future."
Scataglia continued, "The pre-Coen Jaguars were just a giant mess, as Lawrence never really hit his potential. He's always had all the tools, but sometimes, bad teams stay bad until a certain coach saves the day. Now, suddenly, the Jags are not only fresh off an AFC South title, but Lawrence is a top-10 quarterback in the league at this point."
Perhaps Lawrence doesn't frequently get the top-10 moniker because he isn't as accomplished as fellow quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. Then again, you could have the case that he's as talented, if not more, than both of them.
The difference is that the Jaguars don't get the national spotlight nearly as often. It doesn't help that they haven't been consistently good. But regardless of the reason, you could argue that No. 16 is underappreciated.
Does he need to be more consistent? You bet. Has he had lapses? You're right, he's been far from perfect. On the other hand, he's routinely had to put bad teams on his shoulders. Moreover, he didn't have a competent coach who could get the most out of him until Coen arrived in Jacksonville.
But when Lawrence gets proper coaching and a good supporting cast, he's shown he can take his game to the next level. The Knoxville, Tennessee native did it in 2022, and for a good chunk of the 2023 season before he dealt with a myriad of ailments. He once again pulled it off in his first season under Coen's tutelage.
In case you were wondering, the rest of the top 10 in NFL Spin Zone's ranking is a bit suspect. The top two spots went to Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, respectively, and rightly so. The latter was the league MVP last year, and the former was the runner-up.
But then, you see signal-callers such as Burrow (No. 5), who hasn't done anything of note since 2021, or Bo Nix (No. 9), who hasn't been as productive as Lawrence, and you suddenly find yourself wondering just how many spots he can move up if he picks up where he left off last year.
Why the Jaguars have a potential MVP candidate in Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence flourished under Liam Coen, and barring something unexpected, it's hard to see him regressing next season. In fact, he has several things going for him. For starters, he doesn't have to nurse injuries, unlike last year, so he can fully focus on getting an even stronger grasp of the offense.
Moreover, Lawrence has a wide array of weapons in Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, Brenton Strange, and Nate Boerkircher. With such an arsenal, the sixth-year quarterback should have no trouble lighting up the scoreboard.
You will see Trevor Lawrence pop up in the top 10 of most quarterback lists ahead of the regular season. But don't be surprised if he keeps moving up the ladder as the year progresses.
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