Trevor Lawrence Goes First Overall to Jaguars in NFL Draft

Former Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence became the first Tiger in school history to go first overall when he was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday at the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland.

Trevor Lawrence was selected first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday at the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland. 

The former Clemson QB became the first Tiger in school history to be the No. 1 overall. The previous high was fourth overall, which was accomplished by Banks McFadden, Gaines Adams, Sammy Watkins and Clelin Ferrell. 

While Thursday night made it official, Lawrence has long expected to be heading to Jacksonville, which received the first pick after going 1-15 in 2020. 

Lawrence joins former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer, who was hired in the offseason. Lawrence has been the top prospect in the 2021 draft class since he won a national title with the Tigers as a freshman in 2018. 

The Cartersville, Ga., native is the third QB in Clemson history to be a first-round pick, joining Steve Fuller (1979) and Deshaun Watson (2017). 

Lawrence went 34-2 as a starter with the Tigers and finished his three-year career as the winningest QB in school history. He threw for 10,098 yards with 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Lawrence added 943 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. 

He helped lead Clemson to three consecutive ACC Championships and College Football Playoff appearances on his way to becoming the most coveted QB prospect since Andrew Luck was drafted in 2012. 

Lawrence will be the face of a franchise in Jacksonville, and he'll look to get the Jaguars back to the NFL postseason for the first time since 2017. 

Strengths: Lawrence is the complete package. He has size at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds and a strong arm to make any throw on the field. Lawrence can make the correct read before and after the snap, and his long stride makes him an effective runner. 

Weaknesses: Nobody really likes being pressured in the pocket, and Lawrence has shown some jitteriness and lack of solid footwork when defenders routinely get to him. He did get loose with the football at times against top competition.