Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence faced bumpy ride during 2021 rookie season in Jacksonville

From the moment Trevor Lawrence was selected as the No. 1 overall pick last year, he had to carry the weight of a Jaguars franchise badly in need of a turnaround.

However, with a 3-14 finish, the 22-year-old franchise quarterback lost at a rate he never previously experienced after going 52-2 at Cartersville High School and 34-2 as a three-year starter at Clemson.

Despite enormous expectations, Lawrence didn't perform as the top quarterback in the 2021 draft class. He held the ball too long, didn't take enough downfield shots, and finished tied with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for the most interceptions among all quarterbacks in the league with 17.

Lawrence finished the season with 3,641 yards passing, 12 touchdowns, 22 turnovers and five fumbles lost, for a 71.9 passer rating.

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Too much dysfunction

But no rookie quarterback faced a more dysfunctional franchise situation than Lawrence experienced this season. Former head coach Urban Meyer turned out to be the biggest distraction in the franchise before he was fired Dec. 16. There was a report that Meyer kicked former kicker Josh Lambo during an August practice.

In October, Meyer was also caught on two viral videos in Cincinnati, where a woman, not his wife, was seen dancing in close contact with him after he decided not to fly back with the team after Week 4 loss against Cincinnati in October. Another report in December alleged that Meyer called his assistant coaches losers. A few days before Meyer was fired, Lawrence said the drama had to stop for the team to win.

''I'd have to look back and really think about the biggest thing I've learned. I think just for me, learning how to really be resilient in tough times and to keep being the same person and to try to keep that confidence week in and week out,'' Lawrence said.

“I don’t want to say anything, you never know what’s around the corner, but I really do feel like I’ve been through more than a lot of people can say they’ve been through in their first season. I got some, what’s it called? I can’t even think of the saying they say. [Battle scars], yeah, I guess that’s a good one.''

Lawrence never had enough talent around him to maximize his skills on the field. The receivers struggled to get open, and the offensive line had too many pass protection breakdowns. The ground game was too inconsistent.

Quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who was promoted interim head coach after Meyer was fired, both did not do enough to advance Lawrence's skill set as the season progressed. It took 11 weeks into the season for the offensive staff to tweak their system to make it more comfortable for Lawrence with a more up-tempo scheme with run-option plays similar to what was called for him at Clemson.

Lawrence still had problems. During an eight-game stretch from Weeks 9-16, Lawrence completed only one touchdown pass that included only two passes going longer than 30 yards.

Jaguars have to put more talent around Trevor Lawrence

Too often, receivers dropped passes, and the pocket closed too quickly for Lawrence to go through all his progressions. Lawrence also made poor throws and bad reads, leading to a season-high four interceptions in a 20-0 loss to Tennessee on Dec. 12, Meyer's final game. He also was intercepted three times against the New England Patriots in Week 17 and against the Houston Texans in Week 1.

''It was a nightmare season to have for a rookie, to have to deal with the things that we dealt with,” Jaguars running back Dare Ogunbowale said. “It had to be tough for him to deal with but he overcame it and was able to lead us and I’m looking forward to watching him in the future.”

The Jaguars finished the regular season with a 14.9 scoring average, the lowest in the league. They totaled 253 points in the NFL's first 17-game season, but if the season had ended after 16 games, the Jaguars would have set a franchise low with 227 points.

Behind Lawrence, the Jaguars closed out the season with a 26-11 upset victory over the Indianapolis Colts, who were eliminated from playoff consideration. Lawrence enjoyed one of his best performances of the season, 223 yards and two touchdowns. One of the his best plays of the game came in the third quarter when he caught a high snap, rolled out the pocket and threw off his back foot for a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Jones Jr., in the back of the end zone.

''There's been flashes of it this season, but it's all about consistency, and I really wanted to finish the year with confidence and just show, hey, this is who we can be, this is who I can be, this is who I am,'' Lawrence said. ''And then just, like I said, I think confidence is so important.''

Trevor Lawrence right QB for Jags

There is no doubt the Jaguars have the right quarterback in place regardless who becomes the next head coach. Throughout the season, Lawrence made special throws in games. He showed in the season finale against the Colts that if the offensive line can provide him adequate protection, he can deliver touchdown passes.

Among rookie quarterbacks Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones, who were all selected among the top 15 picks in the 2021 draft, Lawrence's 59.6% completion rate ranked only behind Jones' 67.6%. Fields completed 58.9 percent of his passes, Lance 57.7 and Wilson 55.6.

''Just kind of shows hopefully what the future can hold for Trevor,'' Bevell said. ''I think none of us have a crystal ball to be able to see into the future that far and know what’s going to happen. I definitely think that we have a franchise quarterback here.''

Rookie grade for Trevor Lawrence

For a lackluster season by the Jaguars at 3-14, Lawrence persevered and has a talent that's exceptional. He just needs more talent around him and an offensive coaching staff that is capable of enhancing his skill set.

Final Grade: B-

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence endured challenges during rookie season