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When the Jacksonville Jaguars used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Trevor Lawrence, he was considered as close to a “sure thing” as you’ll find at the quarterback position.
But now, in year three with the Jags, fans are beginning to wonder if that’s really the case.
“Refined and polished for his age, Lawrence is the ultimate prototype for today’s brand of franchise quarterback,” Lance Zerlien of NFL.com wrote about Lawrence prior to the draft. “He has great size. He also possesses elite pocket-passing qualities paired with dual-threat athleticism that makes him an unpredictable weapon on every down if play-callers are willing to expand their playbooks for him.
“…His body of work should give NFL teams a clear view of who he is and the type of player he could become. Lawrence has an extremely high ceiling and a floor as a very good player who will start for a long time.”
Almost three years later, Lawrence has established himself as a capable NFL starting quarterback. But he’s looked closer to his floor than he has his ceiling.
His rookie year was destroyed by then head coach Urban Meyer, who didn’t even last a full season in Jacksonville.
But many expected the hiring of head coach Doug Pederson in year two would be a huge development for Lawrence.
And it was!
Lawrence improved his completion percentage from 59.6 to 66.3. He threw 25 touchdowns compared to just 12 as a rookie and cut his interceptions down from 17 to 8.
Most importantly, the Jaguars went 9-8 and won the AFC South.
Lawrence made the Pro Bowl and it appeared the Jaguars may well have a superstar quarterback.
But the playoffs were unkind to the young quarterback. He threw four interceptions in a Wild Card game that the Jags somehow won, 31-30, over the Los Angeles Chargers.
He then went 24-of-39 for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Trevor Lawrence Consistency Issues Lead To ‘Bust’ Talk
Lawrence entered the 2023 with expectations that he’d solidify himself as a star quarterback in the league.
But that hasn’t happened.
He’s been solid, completing 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,525 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
But hes surpassed 300 yards passing just twice in 14 games and his 16 turnovers rank second in the league behind Joshua Dobbs.
He lost his sixth fumble of the year on Sunday night in a 23-7 loss to Baltimore Ravens.
Following the loss, fans are beginning to wonder if Lawrence will ever reach the heights many imagined.
“I don’t think Trevor is a bust by any means, but when you’re lauded as a “generational talent” you have expectations to perform, for a #1 overall pick he’s been very underwhelming, I give him a pass for Urban Meyer, but he’s in year 3 making the same mistakes he did as a rookie,” Twitter user @JadedPurdy wrote.
That was on the nicer end of things, too.
“When does Trevor Lawrence become a bust? He gets a pass. Guy really isnt it. Was supposed to be all world. Just average to me,” said @Hungry52.
While @BarbierJackson had no reservations.
“Trevor Lawrence, is the biggest bust of the 20th century. No Cap,” he said.
That feels a bit harsh. But one is clear, Lawrence is struggling to live up to the extremely high expectations set for him.