This may or may not be a make-or-break year for Trevor Lawrence, but one thing everyone can agree on is that he must bounce back from a pair of underwhelming seasons if the Jacksonville Jaguars want to turn things around.
To help him, the Jags have made upgrades to Lawrence's supporting cast. On top of that, head coach Liam Coen has been working one-on-one with him to hone his mechanics and fundamentals. So far, the investment is paying off.
After showing a bit of rust early in the offseason program, No. 16 has looked significantly better in the preseason games. This has led an NFL analyst to talk about his improvement.
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The Jaguars' investment in Trevor Lawrence isn't going unnoticed
Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media recently discussed Trevor Lawrence's growth under Liam Coen, pointing out that the new Jaguars head coach has had a positive impact on his quarterback.
"You're already seeing some changes the Jaguars are doing with Trevor Lawrence in his first two preseason games," Wolfe said. "They were working with him on his footwork and how he's going through his progressions, and Liam Coen said he's been pleased with Trevor Lawrence's process as you've watched the first two games. Trevor is getting through his second and third reads more efficiently, quicker progressing, using his legs a little bit more, and getting rid of the ball when he needs to."
Wolfe continued, "That's something they've really worked on. He's not retreating in the pocket. He's stepping up in the pocket. And Trevor Lawrence admittedly said recently, 'Hey, look, this is your five, I'm entering my prime. I've got to turn it up.' He got that big, $55 million a year contract last year. He knows the pressure's on him, and the Jaguars believe this new scheme with Liam Coen, which they had wonders in Tampa, with Baker Mayfield, will do wonders for Trevor Lawrence.
Leaving aside that a shoulder injury cut his season short, Lawrence's mechanics were sloppy last year. Coen has been working with him to fix that. Just recently, the former Clemson Tiger talked about how he's gotten used to his new footwork, pointing out that it feels more natural now.
The Jaguars need Trevor Lawrence to keep improving (and stay healthy)
As Cameron Wolfe noted, the early signs are promising. Now, Trevor Lawrence must keep improving. On top of that, he needs to avoid the injury bug, something he's failed to do the past two years.
Granted, there's an element of randomness in injuries, but availability is the best ability, and watching from the sidelines doesn't help Lawrence. Working in his favor is that the Jags have beefed up the offensive line, so he'll have plenty of time, a luxury he hasn't truly had since landing in Jacksonville in 2021.
Moreover, the Jaguars bolstered Lawrence's arsenal of weapons and will put a renewed emphasis on running the ball. When you add it all up, the fifth-year quarterback will no longer have to put on his shoulder on a weekly basis. Sure, he'll still need to come up clutch and deliver, but he now has lots of help.
Ultimately, it's great to see that Trevor Lawrence is taking advantage of all the help the Jaguars are giving him. And if everything goes according to plan, he'll rejoin the top-10 quarterback conversation and they'll have a legitimate chance to dethrone the Houston Texans in the AFC South. All things considered, it's a win-win situation for everyone, except for teams in Jacksonville's schedule next season.
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