The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Lawrence, who was not in attendance, becomes the highest-drafted player in Clemson history. Before Lawrence, four Tigers’ had been drafted with the No. 4 overall pick (Banks McFadden in 1939, Gaines Adams in 2007, Sammy Watkins in 2014 and Clelin Ferrell in 2019).
The Jaguars’ secured the No. 1 overall pick in Week 16, beating out the New York Jets for the right to draft the player many consider to be the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.
Lawrence, the No. 1 recruit in 247′ Sports 2018 class, has been viewed as a generational talent since starring at Cartersville High School in Georgia.
In three seasons with the Tigers, the 21-year-old created an incredible resume. He won the national championship and CFP National Championship Offensive MVP as a true freshman. He led the team back to the CFP title game in 2019 and finished as a Heisman Trophy runner-up this past season. In 40 career collegiate starts, he passed for 10,098 passing yards, posted a 90-17 TD-INT ratio and a 164.3 passer rating.
Lawrence immediately becomes the favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year next season. Paired with head coach Urban Meyer, the Jaguars hope this pick will kick off the launch of a new era for a team that has one playoff appearance since 2008 and had just one season with a winning record in the last 13 years.
The Jacksonville Jaguars also own the 25th overall pick in the first round in this draft. Jacksonville acquired the selection from the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 blockbuster Jalen Ramsey trade.
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