The Jacksonville Jaguars lost their Week 1 game against the Houston Texans by the score of 37-21.
The Jaguars created a lot of offseason excitement by hiring legendary college coach Urban Meyer and drafting the No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Drafting the No. 1 overall pick is a double-edged sword.
Generally speaking, drafting the No. 1 pick means that team was the worst the season before.
Going from worst to first with just one NFL draft in between is practically impossible.
For this reason, Meyer and the Jacksonville fan base may need to be patient.
Good things are coming just likely in the years ahead.
Consider the Troy Aikman example as a good comparison.
Troy Aikman
I’d like to introduce you to Troy Aikman. In 1989, his rookie season, he threw for 1,749 yards, 9 TDs, 18 INTs for a 55.7 rating. He went on to win 3 Super Bowls and go to the Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/1KI6zXYYkO
— Ron Canniff (@TheRonCanniff) July 13, 2021
Aikman was the No. 1 pick in the 1989 NFL Draft.
He was drafted by a Dallas Cowboys team that was in a state of transition.
The 1988 season was the last for legendary coach Tom Landry.
The Cowboys finished 3-13, and ownership and staffing changes happened after the 1988 season.
With established college coach Jimmy Johnson at the helm in 1989, the Cowboys went 1-15.
Their sole victory was against the Washington Redskins.
Almost every element of the game was sorely lacking for the Cowboys, and Aikman took a pounding that season.
Given more draft picks and a genius move known as the Herschel Walker trade in October 1989, the Cowboys put themselves in a position to have better teams going forward.
The third season after the that disastrous 1989 1-15 finish, in 1992, the Cowboys won their first Super Bowl under Johnson.
Emmitt Smith came in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft, and offensive linemen were also added.
The rest is history.
Trevor Lawrence And Urban Meyer
It is not hard to put Lawrence and Meyer in the same situation as Aikman and Johnson on that 1989 Cowboys team.
Lawrence did have a much more lauded college career than Aikman, but he enters the NFL with the same issues.
His talent is definitely there, but he needs time, experience, and teammates to support his success.
Peyton had 3 picks in his debut.
Andrew Luck had 3 picks in his debut.
And now, Trevor Lawrence has 3 picks in his debut.— Justin Barney (@JustinBarneyTV) September 12, 2021
Meyer and Johnson both played the sport that they coached and are more accomplished coaches than players.
Meyer needs to understand the differences between coaching in the NFL and the NCAA because there are many.
This will take time to figure out which will run concurrently with the time needed to build a team around Lawrence.
History Of First-Round Picks
When No. 1 quarterback draft picks win the Super Bowl, it takes time.
Eli Manning matched Aikman’s feat of winning a Super Bowl four years after being the No. 1 pick in 2004.
The Giants hoisted the first of their two Lombardi Trophies under Eli’s leadership in 2007; the second was in 2011.
Peyton Manning‘s rise from No. 1 pick to Super Bowl champion took longer.
He was the No. 1 pick in 1998, but it took until the 2006 season for Peyton to win his first Super Bowl.
In 1998 as a rookie, Peyton Manning came to play us at Baltimore and lost. He threw 28 INTS that season. 28! He also threw for 3500+ yards that season. We all saw his arm talent and competitive spirit. Chill Jags fans. Trevor has those traits to develop.
— Jeff Kopp (@Kopper57) September 12, 2021
Conclusion
The Meyer and Lawrence partnership in Jacksonville is just getting started.
The accomplishments created by the duo should be measured a few years in the future, not after one game or even one season together.
NEXT: Urban Meyer Shoots Down Idea Of Leaving To Coach USC