It took him a while, but Trevor Lawrence is beginning to look like the quarterback the Jacksonville Jaguars envisioned when they drafted him first overall in 2021. In his defense, he didn't always get the support he needed, but he flourished as soon as Liam Coen became the head coach last year.
Now, Lawrence is entering his second season under Coen. He should be even better for several reasons, including his firmer grasp of the offense and a better understanding of opposing defenses. If the sixth-year quarterback manages to take the next step, an NFL analyst believes he will be as good as the reigning league MVP.
The Jaguars could have their own Matthew Stafford in Trevor Lawrence
Pete Prisco made an appearance on 1010 XL and stated that Trevor Lawrence will be better next season because he knows how to dissect defenses better, noting that it takes time to get a hold of it.
Yes, and it's working with him in the spring. That's one of the things he said. He said he's comfortable with everything now. He understands it." He sees it," Prisco said (5:45 mark). "It's tough in the NFL to come in and understand NFL defense. These days, it's 50,000. The complexity of them and how they move and how they move around and what they show you pre-snap and then what they show you post-snap. And it's so tough for these quarterbacks.
Prisco continued, "It's always been the hardest position in sports to play. Now it's even more so, and I think that's the next step for Trevor Lawrence. Forget about the physical; he can make all the throws. He can run. He can move around. He's going to stand in there and make the throws."
Later in the exchange, Prisco argues that if Lawrence can take that next step, he could be at the same level as Matthew Stafford.
"The next step is identifying and seeing it before they see it. And if you can do that, you're Matt Stafford. That's what Matt Stafford does. That's what makes him so great. You can change on the fly on defense against him, he's going to beat you. And that's where Trevor Large is headed," Prisco said.
However you look at it, that's the highest possible praise you'll ever get. Like Lawrence, Stafford was a No. 1 overall pick. He went to the Detroit Lions in 2009 and spent 12 seasons with them before he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
Stafford was a much better quarterback than Lawrence at the same stage of their careers, though. The trouble is that he didn't get a good supporting cast during his stint in Detroit. The former Georgia Bulldog did once he went to the Rams and immediately won the Super Bowl. He is coming off a season in which he was voted league MVP.
The Jaguars could watch Trevor Lawrence take the next step in 2026
The Jaguars would be hyped up if Trevor Lawrence plays at the same level as Matthew Stafford, and there are reasons to believe that he will or get as close as he can be. For starters, No. 16 will have a stronger hold of the offense. On the other hand, he didn't have to spend the offseason rehabbing from injuries, unlike the past two years.
But more importantly, Lawrence may not have to carry the team on his shoulders next season. He's got what's arguably the best supporting cast of his career; the running back should get going, and the defense will make it so he doesn't have to score 30 points per game to have a shot at winning.
When you add it all up, Trevor Lawrence is in a great position to have the best season of his career and help the Jaguars make a deep playoff push.
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