Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) passes to a receiver during the Jaguars 14th NFL training camp session at Miller Electric Center Tuesday August 12, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play the Saints this Sunday in their second preseason game. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Analyst and Former NFL QB Snubs Jags' Trevor Lawrence

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars fans were elated when the team landed the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. That guaranteed them the opportunity to select Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, giving them their best chance at finding a new franchise quarterback after Mark Brunnell.

He got off to a rocky start, throwing a league-leading 17 interceptions in his rookie season for the Jaguars. He turned things around in 2022 and 2023, leading his team to two straight 9-8 finishes, including a playoff appearance in just his second campaign. However, he took a massive step backward last year. He endured a sprained shoulder and a concussion, but struggled to consistently move the ball even when he was healthy.

Now, he has a new surgically-repaired shoulder and a new head coach in Liam Coen working with him to get his development back on track. After his poor showing in 2024, Lawrence has quickly become one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. He'll have to show the NFL the talent that's being overlooked if the Jaguars are to be competitive this season.

Dan Orlovsky leaves Trevor Lawrence off all of his top 10 quarterback traits lists

After he averaged a career-low 222.7 yards in his nine full games in 2024, it made it easy for detractors to overlook Trevor Lawrence. However, all of the talent and potential that made him the consensus top prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft are still there. Head Coach Liam Coen will just have to coax it out of him, the same way he did for Baker Mayfield as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator last season.

Not everyone is hopeful that Lawrence can become an elite quarterback this year, though. ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky recently released his top 10 QBs in seven different evaluations: arm strength, ball placement, mechanics, decision-making, pocket presence, rushing ability, and second reaction. Lawrence didn't make the cut in any category, although he did get a shoutout as an honorable mention in the last section.

Arm strength and rushing ability make sense, as there are several quarterbacks who are more physically gifted than the Jags'. However, Trevor Lawrence not appearing on any of the lists is a testament to the fact that he's been mostly forgotten after his down season in 2024.

For example, he took just 18 sacks in nine full games last year, on pace for 34 across a full 17-week campaign. That put him on pace to finish in the bottom 10 among full-time starters.

Regardless, all Lawrence can do now is prove Orlovsky and the rest of his doubters wrong. The Jaguars will want to see him placed on multiple of these rankings next year, after his first season under Head Coach Liam Coen.

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This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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