Jaguars Reportedly Already Impressed With Trevor Lawrence’s Ability To Retain Offense
In a little over two weeks, Trevor Lawrence will hear his name called by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, announcing him as the No. 1 overall pick and the future of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But the Jaguars aren't waiting until Goodell makes it official to see how their soon-to-be franchise quarterback walks the walk and talks the talk. The Jaguars have been busy doing their homework both on Lawrence and with him, with NFL Network's Ian Rapoport stating Monday the Jaguars have been impressed by the results thus far.
"What they have done particularly is give him a lot of their football knowledge that they would like him to retain; plays they run, looks they show, some stuff in their playbook, kind of see what he retains," Rapoport said.
This isn't a completely foreign concept; as Rapoport notes, the Bengals did similar with Joe Burrow in their pre-draft meetings with him. But it does further show exactly why the Jaguars are all-in on Lawrence at No. 1 overall once April 29 and the first round of the draft rolls around.
"And this really is where, from my understanding, Trevor Lawrence has impressed them -- being able to talk like he is already a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. That is how well he can retain things. Just another reason why they are expected to go with him at No. 1,' Rapoport said.
It has never been much of a secret that the Jaguars have been intent on selecting Lawrence with the franchise's first-ever No. 1 overall pick. The Clemson quarterback has been billed as a top quarterback prospect since high school and his three-year career at Clemson, which featured broken records and only two losses, only solidified this.
Lawrence is 34-2 as a starter, having only lost in the College Football Playoffs (as a sophomore to LSU in the Championship and as a junior to Ohio State in the semifinals). As a freshman, Lawrence defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide for the National Championship. In his career, Lawrence completed 66% of his passes for 10,098 yards (8.9 yards per attempt, 9.8 adjusted yards per attempt) for 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He also rushed for 943 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Considering the Jaguars' need for a true face of the franchise both on and off the field, there has never been any doubt Lawrence would be their eventual selection. His ability to retain information and what the Jaguars have thrown at him has made this only more likely, but head coach Urban Meyer has also made it clear who the Jaguars will be picking in two weeks.
Meyer hasn't been present at either the North Dakota State or BYU pro days to watch Trey Lance or Zach Wilson in person, but Meyer and his top two offensive assistants were front and present for Trevor Lawrence's pro day. Meyer was just yards away from Lawrence for the entirety of his workout, making it obvious who he was there to see.
“It couldn’t have gone better. I think I made the comment we had high expectations going into it, like really high. I’ve seen him throw before. I really wanted [Offensive Coordinator] Darrell Bevell and [Passing Game Coordinator] Brian Schottenheimer to witness it," Meyer said after Lawrence's pro day.
"Watching a guy throw, especially throw, on video tape, it’s not the same. I made the comment you want to hear it leave his hand, listen to it go by you, and to me, I don’t know how you evaluate a quarterback without doing that. So, I thought he did great. We’ve had a couple Zoom calls with him and he’s been great, and we like where we’re at with him.”
Meyer has also openly admitted to NBC Sports' Peter King that Lawrence is who he has zeroed in on.
"I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed," Meyer told King when asked if there was any mystery the Jaguars would be selecting Lawrence.
Lawrence will be the pick; it just hasn't happened yet. But until then, the Jaguars can take solace in the fact that their future franchise quarterback is checking all of the boxes during their pre-draft sharing of information.
