Trevor Lawrence's maturity, potential give Jaguars hope for offensive success in 2022

It starts with the quarterback, and the Jacksonville Jaguars head into the season with one of the most promising in the league in second-year starter Trevor Lawrence.

His work ethic has been on display since he was a teenager during his prep career at Cartersville (Ga.), but what has been on display since he entered the NFL is his maturity, his need to be proficient at all facets of the position he's in with Jacksonville.

From the moment Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson stepped foot in Jacksonville on Feb. 5 when he was officially introduced as the team's head coach, the focus has been on the team's No. 1 overall pick from 2021.

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In fact, that was one of the reasons why Pederson said, all those months ago, that he decided to return to the league as a coach with Jacksonville — to coach Lawrence.

"That's something I obviously looked at with the teams that were searching for head coaches is who is the quarterback, and is that person in place? Here it is, I truly believe that," Pederson said during his introductory press conference in February.

"Everything, as I've done my research on Trevor and talked to people, even talked to coaches who have played against him this past year, say nothing but great things and kind of the sky's the limit."

Jaguars built offense around Lawrence's growth, potential

Jacksonville's offense is built around the fact that there is a strong belief in its quarterback. The coaching staff currently employs several former quarterbacks, including Pederson, quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy, offensive coordinator Press Taylor and passing-game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.

During the team's free agency this March, the Jaguars invested a large portion of its salary cap at the receiver position, singing Christian Kirk and Zay Jones to contracts worth a combined $51.5 million.

The team also invested heavily in protecting the young signal-caller, extending left tackle Cam Robinson and signing right guard Brandon Scherff in free agency.

Scherff's deal was worth a reported $30 million in guaranteed money.

The belief in Lawrence didn't come out of thin air, though. His impressive resume prior to entering the league speaks for itself — owning an impressive 86-4 winning record as a starter when combining his high school (52-2) and college (34-2) records.

Though he didn't have an impressive season in 2021 as a rookie statistically, what has impressed Jaguars coaches and players the most has been his maturity and ability to handle adversity at such a young age.

"Hardest thing, he’s had three head coaches, three coordinators, three position coaches, three years, so there’s been a lot of turnovers and change, and he’s really handled it extremely well, very mature, and it’s just still a work in progress," Pederson said.

The team continues to find new ways to structure the offense to help Lawrence. Though he was selected by the previous regime, second-year running back Travis Etienne, teammates with Lawrence during his time at Clemson, has been one of the major pieces that has been featured within Pederson's offense this year.

That was structured in a way that allowed Lawrence to continue his development as smoothly as possible, while also playing to his strengths as a QB.

Lawrence's maturity, ability to connect has impressed teammates

There's a certain aura about Lawrence and his ability to relate to those around him. He has already shown an ability to adapt to adverse situations, including the multitude of distractions the team went through last season.

It didn't take long for Kirk to realize the type of QB and person Lawrence was. Not only did Lawrence invite all of his receivers on a trip to the Bahamas during the offseason, but he also has made an effort to connect with them on personal levels outside of the game of football.

That's something that has resonated with the veteran receiver, Lawrence's maturity is something that isn't necessarily normal for a young player in the league.

"Just his ability, especially for us new guys, me, Zay [Jones], Evan [Engram], you know, all the other additions that we've had, just being able to connect with us individually," Kirk told the Florida Times-Union on Wednesday. "Getting to know us as people, but as players as well, because, we all have different personality types. And that's one thing about being a leader, is being able to connect with each guy in different ways."

Those individual connections continue to the gridiron, Kirk explained. Being able to play fast and gaining chemistry with his teammates has been something to behold.

"Trevor has really mastered (the offense) and been able to just go through his reads and have a good feel for everything. He's super mature and that's one thing, for me, that I've noticed since Day 1 is just how mature he is."

Kirk and Lawrence have continued to connect in practice and their chemistry grew throughout camp as the weeks moved on. During their first at-bat together against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason, Lawrence targetted Kirk eight times, connecting on five passes for 54 yards during the two quarters they played together.

Lawrence seems comfortable, confident heading into season

The Jaguars are opening up their regular season against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 11. When speaking with Lawrence throughout camp, and during his media availabilities, it's clear the young QB has gained confidence within the offense.

He has a better understanding of what is going on in the NFL, there's not as much hesitation on what he needs to do week-in and week-out. That comes naturally, and now he just has to work through what the offense as a whole can do to earn victories.

"I think we’re all gelling really well right now, just excited. I’d say that’s the main thing, though, just excited to get going and get year two started," Lawrence said Wednesday.

When asked if he reached his goal of mastering the offense at this point, Lawrence responded honestly: "I think I'm getting there. I feel great with where I’m at, and I do think I know the offense really well, but there’s always little things, and I think you can always get more on the same page with your coaches and know the game plan inside and out."

The difference now is that the offense will change depending upon what defenses the team is facing during a given week. At that point, it's likely Lawrence has more of a handle of what the full capabilities of the Jaguars' offense will be.

For his teammate, Kirk, the offense has the ability to click quickly, it doesn't necessarily have to take weeks for the chemistry to fully get there. It can happen in Week 1, Kirk explained.

"When we're at our best, we're really good. We have a lot of talent and a lot of really good guys that are bought in. I think that's the key. I think the reason why it's going to work and we're going to be able to progress and be successful is because we're all bought in," he said. "Bought into Press' plan for us, bought into Doug's plan for us. So, as long as we got out and execute like I said, the sky should be the limit."

With Week 0 now behind the team, they can officially look forward to facing off against Washington. Ultimately, that's what Lawrence said he's ready for, to put himself and the team to the test against another opponent and a game that counts toward the future of the franchise.

"The guys [are] ready to roll, everybody’s just itching to play, so we’re all excited."

About Trevor Lawrence

Position: Quarterback

NFL season: Second

Drafted: First round, first overall pick, 2021

College: Clemson

Key stats: Completed 23-of-32 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns during final game of the season in 2021. ... Completed 359-of-602 passes for 3,641 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions during rookie season. ... Rushed for 334 yards.

What they’re saying: "He's gonna start slinging [the ball] around it's gonna be awesome." — Jaguars tight end Dan Arnold

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars 2022 offense preview: Trevor Lawrence's maturity provides hope