Some NFL players get more praise than others. That's just the nature of the sport, and the Jacksonville Jaguars certainly have their fair share of players who fly under the radar even though they play a pivotal role.
Washington Parker Washington and cornerback Montaric Brown are among those players who fit the underrated category, but Trevor Lawrence just talked about another one who doesn't get nearly as much recognition as he deserves.
Trevor Lawrence says Robert Hainsey is the most underrated Jaguars player
Trevor Lawrence made an appearance on former NFL center and teammate Mitch Morse's podcast. The duo discussed who the most overlooked Jaguars player is. Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington earned consideration, but No. 16 brought up another one who doesn't often come to mind.
"I mean, truthfully, on offense, just speaking offensively, Rob [Hainsey] has been a big one; he really has. I mean, trying to think if there's anyone else, so there's a ton of guys like I could bring up," Lawrence told Morse (26:54 mark). "But as far as just the, he's really good when he came in, as like obviously played with you, Mitch, I played with Luke [Fortner], play with [Tyler] Shatley, I play a lot of different centers, and everything different and I've been fortunate to play."
Lawrence continued, "All of them have been awesome, all you guys are awesome, and I played with [Brandon] Linder. So, when you get such an important relationship, like when you get a new one, you're like, 'I wonder how this guy's gonna be.' I've had three, four really cool and good ones, so he comes in, he's just been awesome."
So why exactly does Lawrence like Hansey? He says the sixth-year center is a leader and is actively involved in game preparation.
"He really is good at keeping the room together. He asked a ton of questions. He's like, if there's any anything that's unclear in the game plan, he's on it, like calling out, 'Hey, coach, this doesn't make sense, like we don't understand how we're supposed to block this versus this.' Look, and he asks all the right questions, gets all the guys together frequently, like off the field, the camaraderie stuff, all of that, like he's been, he's been great," Lawrence said.
Morse played for the Jags in 2024 but retired the following year. That left a void at center. To replace him, the Jags signed Hainsey as a free agent in 2025, giving him a three-year deal worth $21 million. He had previously played for head coach Liam Coen when he was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the year prior.
Although Hainsay was benched in favor of Graham Barton in 2024, he brought stability at center in Jacksonville, posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 61.0 while giving up three sacks and 27 total pressures.
On top of that, Hainsay was voted team captain by his teammates. That backs up Lawrence's assessment of him being a leader.
The Jaguars have a keeper in Robert Hainsey
It's a good thing that Trevor Lawrence steered from Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington and instead heaped praise on Robert Hainsey. It's not that Meyers and Washington don't deserve praise, but you cannot truly say that either one is flying under the radar.
On the other hand, you'll be hard-pressed to find someone who'll highlight Hainsey the way Lawrence did. That said, he could be at risk of being Wally Pipped for the second time in three years. Jacksonville drafted Jonah Monheim in 2025, and he could challenge Hainsay for the starting job next season.
Trevor Lawrence is making sure to let it be known just how valuable Robert Hainsey has been for the Jaguars since his arrival, and that won't probably change in 2026, regardless of how things play out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google