For the second year in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars hold the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
However, this year they won’t need a quarterback.
They already have the quarterback of their future in Trevor Lawrence.
The timing of them drafting him couldn’t have been any better.
This is because the 2022 NFL Draft doesn’t have many standout quarterbacks.
With their quarterback already selected, they can now focus on building around him.
However, they would be forced to select a quarterback in 2022 without that first-round pick from 2021.
How The Horrible 2020 Season For The Jaguars Was Good For Them
Everyone had hopes for the Jaguars to make improvements after their 6-10 season in 2019.
However, that never happened, and the Jaguars are lucky it didn’t happen.
With the preseason canceled in 2020, Jaguars players came into the 2020 season rusty.
But so did their opponents as well.
As luck would have it, they won their home opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Indianapolis Colts 27-20
Highest odds available for @Jaguars:
+900 (via Unibet)Live situation available:
1st Quarter 5:18
IND 7 – 0 JAX
Colts 1st & 10 at JAX 12
Jaguars win probability (via ESPN): 11.7%#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/2PoCtnmI8N— UpsetOdds (@UpsetOdds) September 13, 2020
However, the win was messy as the defense gave up 445 yards and their offense only had 241 yards.
The Jaguars were behind in every stat except one, interceptions.
Their defense had two interceptions that helped the offense win the game.
However, that win was the only win of the 2020 season for Jacksonville.
Their 15 straight losses that followed landed them the first overall pick in 2021.
What Makes Trevor Lawrence Better Than The 2022 Draft Pool Of Quarterbacks?
Even with their luck in landing Lawrence, people might wonder what makes him better than the 2022 college quarterbacks.
It’s very simple.
He has a championship under his belt.
None of the top ten quarterback prospects from this year’s draft have won an NCAA National Championship.
However, Lawrence did so in his first year as a starting college quarterback in 2018.
While the 2018 season didn’t see him as the initial starter, by the fourth game he replaced Kelly Bryant as starter.
In that freshman year, he took Clemson to an undefeated season and an NCAA National Championship.
2018 Clemson the first team to go 15-0 in 121 years! WE DID IT FIRST! Beat two undefeated teams, ND and reining National Champions Bama both by 4 scores! pic.twitter.com/yMsCH4bDUz
— 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇷🇴MattyNatty (@MattyNatty1) November 15, 2021
While he didn’t win another National Championship after that, he still finished his college career with impressive stats.
In 36 games started, he won 34 games, passed for 10,098 yards, and had 90 touchdowns and only 17 interceptions.
Performing at a high level with Clemson for three years gave Jacksonville all they needed to select him first overall.
His college performance is better than the performances of the current college quarterback draft pool.
Now Lawrence needs a team built around him so he can succeed in the NFL like he did in college.
Jacksonville Has Head Start With Lawrence At Quarterback
Without a player like Lawrence, the Jaguars might need five years to rebuild their team.
However, he gives them a head start as they have a potential elite quarterback with him.
This shaves at least two years off the rebuilding process.
While a winning season in 2022 for Jacksonville might be impossible, 2023 could see a turnaround for them.
They will have Lawrence and the 2022 pick locked in for the 2023 season, giving them an edge against other AFC South teams.
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