Dabo Swinney Makes Pitch For NFL Teams Thought To Be Tanking For Trevor Lawrence

dabo swinney nfl teams tanking for trevor lawrence

Getty Image / Mike Comer


Tanking for Trevor Lawrence isn’t some new revelation, the idea for tanking for the Clemson quarterback has been a thought for years now ever since he led Clemson to a perfect season as a true freshman. Now the time has actually arrived for teams around the league to tank for the presumable first-overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lawrence is just a junior, but it would be an all-time surprise to see him return to Clemson for his senior season next year.

As it stands five weeks thru the NFL season, three teams stand out above the rest when it comes to winning the Lawrence sweepstakes and acquiring the first-overall pick. The Giants, Jets, and Falcons are the three teams in the NFL without a win this season and according to Tankathon.com, the Giants have the best chance of finishing last in the league and receiving the No. 1 pick.

It’s impossible to know whether or not teams are actually tanking for a shot at Lawrence, but if they are, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t seem to think it’s the worst idea. He was specifically asked about the Jets and Giants possibly tanking for Lawrence and Swinney made his pitch for his quarterback.

“I don’t know what you could want that he doesn’t possess,” Swinney said during a weekly press conference, according to 247 Sports “So that’s the best way I can answer that. I mean, there’s nothing — there’s nothing that you could desire to have in a quarterback that’s not there. You want size? You got it. You want a guy that could run? You got it. You want a guy that has great football IQ? You got it.

“You want a guy that’s accurate? You got it. You want a guy that’s got great pocket presence? You got it. You want a guy that’s got toughness and ain’t afraid to go get a first down? You got it. You want a guy that’s going to give you every ounce of what he’s got? You got it. So I don’t know what you could want in a quarterback that he doesn’t possess. That’s the best way I can answer it.”

Lawrence has gotten off to pretty much a perfect start to the 2020 season throwing 10 touchdowns, rushing for another four, throwing zero interceptions, and completing 72.4% of his passes. It’s no secret he has all the tools to be great at the next level and whichever franchise does get the chance to draft him, it could be getting a franchise-changing player.