Listen Now! Even with Lawrence, the Jaguars don't have much going for them right now

When you think of highly-drafted NFL quarterback busts, names like Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith and Heath Shuler may come to mind.

When you think of top picks that started out shaky but panned out, perhaps Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman fit the bill.

Then, there are picks like John Elway, Dan Marino and Andrew Luck who came into the league and excelled almost immediately.

When all is said and done, where will Trevor Lawrence fit into this equation? Will he be in the category that started out shaky and became great, or is he destined to take his place among the all-time busts?

It will be a few years before we can draw a conclusion, but make no mistake about it: Lawrence will be under a microscope next year after largely getting a pass this year given all the strife in Jacksonville.

Trevor's struggles: Jaguars notebook: Darrell Bevell has optimism for Trevor Lawrence's confidence moving forward

How are other rookie QBs looking?: 10 quarterbacks were taken in 2021 NFL Draft. Here's who played and how they did in Week 17

Lawrence's bad luck: Gene Frenette: If only Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence had same situation as Patriots' Mac Jones

Yet, is too much being put on Lawrence?

First-year coach Urban Meyer was a dumpster fire and was canned after 13 games.

Jacksonville’s defense, to put it kindly, is dreadful.

To wit: Jacksonville is second to last in the league, giving up 27.9 points per game. They are last in the league in turnover differential. They have the least amount of takeaways with seven. That’s seven less than the next-worst team. And they have the second-fewest interceptions with six.

When it comes to the run game, the Jags are in the bottom 10 in rushing yards.

They were without first-round pick Travis Etienne, who was lost in the preseason with a Lisfranc injury.

On Dec. 26, they lost James Robinson to a torn Achilles.

To say this team is a mess is an understatement.

If you’re a Jags, what should you be hopeful for? How about another No. 1 overall pick?

Is there anything else to look forward to?

If there is, John Reid of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville will inform you.

He’s the latest guest on “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast,” powered by the USA TODAY Network.

John’s finishing his fifth year of covering the team, and he’s only seen them have one winning season — in his first year covering the team in 2017.

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Over the past four years they’ve finished last in the AFC South.

John will tell us where he thinks Lawrence ranks among this year’s rookie QB corp. He’ll also break down the rest of the offense and defense, and tell us what he’s hearing about the team’s future in Jacksonville.

If you love the Jaguars, the NFL or football in general, you’ll want to check this out.

Join the tens of thousands that have downloaded us and find out why it gives you the best sports breakdowns in the state.

We can be downloaded wherever you listen to podcasts, or simply type in “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast” into your favorite search engine and you’ll find several options to listen on, including Spotify. We also can be found on any of the 17 USA TODAY-Network Florida websites.

If you like it, you can check out previous shows, which feature current and former professional athletes and coaches, as well as our stable of journalists who cover beats and write columns, all of whom have a tie to the Sunshine State.

Contact Walters at twalters@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jags beat writer breaks down team's future on USA TODAY Network podcast