With the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
It's felt like a fait accompli for years now, but Lawrence is finally officially the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, with the Jacksonville Jaguars using the No. 1 overall selection on him Thursday.
After a storied college career, Lawrence will stay in the southeast, and if he's as successful as many believe he will be, he may be able to turn some fans normally more interested in Saturday games into die-hard Jaguars fans.
It remains to be seen exactly how committed Urban Meyer is to the NFL, but if he sticks it out in Jacksonville, Lawrence could help the former Florida coach to bring another championship to the Sunshine State.
Measurables: 6'6"/220
School: Clemson
2020 stats: 3,153 passing yards, 69.2% completion rate, 24 touchdowns, 5 interceptions; 203 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on 63 attempts
Accolades: 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist, 2020 ACC Player of the Year, 2020 AP Third-Team All-American, two-time First-Team All-ACC, three-time All-ACC Academic Team, 2018 College Football Playoff Offensive MVP
Strengths: Lawrence led Clemson to a National Championship in his true freshman season, and from there on out he was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite that pressure, he thrived, meaning the weight of being the top overall pick probably won't weigh on him...He can succeed moving out of the pocket and throwing like Carson Wentz at his best, but is probably even more of a threat to actually keep the ball and run...Perhaps doesn't have an arm as strong as Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, but it is plenty strong enough...Because of his abilities to improvise successfully as both a passer and a runner, he's going to be a tremendous weapon around the endzone.
Weaknesses: Lawrence may throw a few more interceptions than you'd like early in his career, but we're really nitpicking trying to find any notable cons to him as a prospect
Expert scout analysis: "Lawrence has an extremely high ceiling and a floor as a very good player who will start for a long time," NFL Media's Lance Zierlein said.
Tape:
Player comparison: Mix of Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, sort of
The way that Lawrence drops back in the pocket reminds you a bit of Peyton Manning, but then he's able to keep the ball and escape the pocket as well as Andrew Luck did, and perhaps better. This comparison isn't made lightly, but we all expect Lawrence to be a Hall of Famer, right? The truth is that there isn't an exactly comparison here, but this is the closest we could get.