There are several intriguing storylines surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. Earlier in the year, whether they would trade Brian Thomas Jr. was probably the biggest one. However, it doesn't look like the 2024 first-round pick is going anywhere. More recently, rumors have surfaced that the Jags could make a push for Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Whether the Jags ultimately acquire Brown — and it simply doesn't make sense — remains to be seen, but that's far from the only storyline to keep an eye on in Duval. That's probably why it's a good thing that a beat writer sorts out the ones worth paying attention to at Organized Team Activities, and the ones that don't.
Trevor Lawrence is in a position to flourish at Jaguars OTAs
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated drew up a list of OTA storylines worth paying attention to, and a few that don't. He put Trevor Lawrence's next step in the latter category, arguing that no other quarterback may be in a better position to succeed than him with head coach Liam Coen in his corner.
"It certainly seems like Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is due for a big season," Shipley wrote. "Perhaps no quarterback in the NFL played better than he did over the final 2.5 months of the season, and Lawrence and the Jaguars were a bad bounce or two against the Buffalo Bills away from potentially making a serious playoff run in the AFC. "With a healthy offseason and a year with Liam Coen under his belt, Lawrence has never had momentum on his side more than today."
Shipley goes on to say that Lawrence suddenly won't become an MVP candidate at the end of OTAs, but that's where it all begins. For the sake of context, he also included other plot lines, but this was the most prominent one.
After all, Trevor Lawrence has been a polarizing figure since Jacksonville drafted him first overall in 2021. Dubbed a generational talent, the former Clemson Tiger struggled during his rookie campaign but made a massive improvement in 2022. He would get off to a strong start the following year, but a myriad of injuries would ultimately derail his 2023 season.
By 2024, there were already questions about Lawrence's viability as a starting quarterback. It didn't help that he was off to a rough start and would later suffer a season-ending AC injury.
Rightly, No. 16 entered 2025 needing to prove he was the long-term answer behind center. He delivered, and then some, completing 60.9 percent of his throws for 4,007 yards and scoring a career-best 38 touchdowns.
Now, Lawrence enters Year 2 of the Coen era in a position to take the next step.
The Jaguars could have a legitimate MVP candidate in Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence is suddenly a trendy MVP candidate for 2026, and understandably so. Unlike last year, he's entering the offseason program at full strength. Moreover, he won't have to hone his footwork like he did in 2025. But wait, there's more! The former Knoxville, Tennessee native doesn't have to learn yet another offensive system.
Last season, Lawrence had a bit of trouble getting a hold of Liam Coen's scheme, the most complex he had learned in his career. But once he got more acclimated, he took off, completing 62.6 percent of his passes for 1,856 yards with 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
If that wasn't enough, the front office just added several weapons to Lawrence's arsenal in the NFL Draft, and he'll get to keep building on his rapport with players who are returning from last year.
When yo uadd it all up, Trevor Lawrence is in a prime position to be discussed in the same breath as the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
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