The Jacksonville Jaguars built around Trevor Lawrence in the offseason because they still believe that he can take them to the promised land. The belief is justified when you take into account that he's shown he can play at an elite level. The thing is that No. 16 will now have to do it on a consistent basis to validate his team's trust. Doing it would also help him earn a higher spot in quarterback rankings.
John Kosko of Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 projected starting quarterbacks in the NFL for 2025 and placed Lawrence at No. 16, pointing out that the talent is there but hasn't been consistent enough to put it all together.
"Trevor Lawrence might be the biggest wild card in this tier. The talent is undeniable, but he's yet to show the consistent high-level play needed to elevate himself and the Jaguars into the NFL's elite," Kosko said. "His 79.7 overall grade in 2023 was a career high, and now he'll have Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter as his top targets with Liam Coen taking over as offensive coordinator."
For the sake of clarity, Liam Coen won't be the offensive coordinator but rather the offensive playcaller. Grant Udinski will be the offensive coordinator for the Jags.
Circling back to Lawrence, he's most definitely shown that he can play at an elite level, and he's the reason Jacksonville has a chance to win football games more often than not. However, his decision-making and mechanics took a hit last year.
The good news is that both areas can be improved with coaching, and Coen said that they'll be key in his work with the fifth-year quarterback. Having said that, Lawrence's biggest issue has been his availability or lack thereof. He's dealt with a myriad of injuries the past two years that have prevented him from hitting his stride. The former Clemson Tiger will need to stay healthy if he wants to fulfill expectations in 2025.
In case you were wondering, Jordan Love (12th), Baker Mayfield (13th), C.J. Stroud (14th), and Kyler Murray (15th) were some of the quarterbacks that were ranked higher than Lawrence. On the other hand, Dak Prescott (17th), Tua Tagovailoa (18th), and Bo Nix (19th) were among the signal-callers who got a lower spot than him.
Also for context, Lawrence popped up at No. 18 in a different quarterback ranking, not far off from PFF's. It's just a small sample, but it looks like the consensus sees him as a top 15-20 quarterback ahead of the 2025 season.
The Jaguars have on paper a top-10 quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, he must now play like one
Talent has never been an issue for Trevor Lawrence. When he's in the zone, he's unstoppable. However, you cannot say with a straight face that he's a top-10 quarterback right now when he hasn't put in the work to prove it. That's why he needs to show in 2025 that he can stay healthy.
To ensure that happens, the Jacksonville Jaguars spared no expense to improve the offensive line. Aside from bringing in two starters, they also made several depth acquisitions. On top of that, Lawrence will have no shortage of weapons with Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter rounding out a wide receiver corps that already included Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr.
Simply put, the Jacksonville Jaguars have done their part. Now, Trevor Lawrence must do his if they want to turn things around.
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