Big Cat Country Q&A: Trevor Lawrence everything with Matt Miller

We want to send our Keep Choppin’ Wood newsletter to more Jaguars fans but it costs money! (Who knew?)

We’ve got emails hitting over 10,000 inboxes every week and we could add 5,000 more tomorrow with our current backlog of people who want to sign up — if you or your organization wants to sponsor our email newsletter hit me up at @ryaneatscake or email us at sbnbigcatcountry@gmail.com.

---

Let’s answer your questions about future Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence with some help from Matt Miller over at TheDraftScout.com!

You can follow Matt on Twitter at @nfldraftscout.

Let’s get to it!

Ethan from Omaha, NE

Q: What do you think Trevor Lawrence needs most to succeed right away in the NFL? A good receiving group? A strong offensive line? Or is he one of those players that makes everyone else look better?

A: For me, I think Trevor needs a system he’s comfortable in. I see his talent as being good enough to elevate those around him. Now, of course he needs baseline level protection and baseline level receivers to work with, but Jacksonville has that. Given his poise in the pocket, his mobility and his arm strength, I think he has the tools and mental toughness to handle a less-than stellar supporting cast while still being really productive and being able to develop.

But, with pick No. 25, I do hope Jacksonville adds an offensive lineman. Lawrence is good enough to overcome an iffy line, but no one wants to see another great young quarterback hit 50 times a season.

Bill from Jacksonville, FL

Q: It can be hard to project someone’s ceiling, so instead I’ll ask what Trevor Lawrence’s floor is in regards to success? Is it Matthew Stafford, where he compiles a bunch of stats without the meaningful wins?

A: I’ve been telling people that his floor is what Justin Herbert did last year—record setting numbers, jaw-dropping plays but maybe held back by his roster early on. Stafford is another good comparison where you see the talent, you love the player, but he’s held back by what’s around him. I do think Lawrence’s mobility would give him an edge over Stafford in that area, though.

Matthew from St. Simon’s Island, GA

Q: Do you think that we should be worried about Trevor Lawrence’s shoulder surgery at all?

A: Not at all. Non-throwing shoulder and it’s smart that he’s getting it fixed now so he’s ready to roll when pre-season activities start. He can still learn the playbook (I wouldn’t be shocked if he doesn’t already have some of it) and start processing mentally what’s expected of him.

Billy from Middleburg, FL

Q: How is Trevor at going through his progressions and seeing the whole field? Does he lock onto his first read or do you see him doing well with his second, third, and fourth options?

A: Great question. I think his ability to get through his reads is the best of this class and comparable to what Joe Burrow was doing at LSU. Lawrence holds the safety with his eyes and his mobility as a weapon. He goes “boom-boom-boom” through his reads off his drop. And I think he’s smart enough to recognize things pre-snap and get into the right play. And in 2020 he did this behind a not-great offensive line at Clemson; so we’ve seen his pocket poise and that he doesn’t rush progressions or bail on the pocket early because of pressure.

Travis from High Springs, FL

Q: Who would be your pro comp for Trevor Lawrence? I’ve been hearing Peyton Manning a lot, but isn’t Lawrence much more mobile than Peyton was?

A: To me he doesn’t have a comparison. The body type is a lot like Peyton Manning, but he’s so much more mobile. It’s like a mixture of Manning and Andrew Luck. Or, from a body type and athleticism standpoint he’s like Daniel Jones but MUCH better at protecting the ball and with a stronger arm.

Austin from Jacksonville, FL

Q: What’s Trevor Lawrence’s biggest weakness? What could cause him to be a bust?

A: I can’t see Lawrence being a bust. That’s how confident I am in his evaluation. The only thing that could cause him to “bust” would be injuries. As for weaknesses... there aren’t many. I would say his delivery can get a little long and there were some fumbles in 2020 when he was trying to keep plays alive. But those are very minor and I’m being very picky.

Thomas from Gainesville, FL

Q: Comparing Trevor Lawrence to your next two quarterbacks in this year’s draft, what are the differences that set him apart from the other two?

A: Comparing him to Zach Wilson and Justin Fields—the biggest difference would be that Lawrence has excelled for three seasons without having a truly “bad” game. He’s made a few iffy throws, but never really had a bad game. Wilson wasn’t great against Coastal Carolina. Fields struggled against Alabama, Northwestern and Indiana. And with Fields you can say that the Ohio State scheme doesn’t prepare quarterbacks well for the NFL, so he’s left with a lot of work to do on his own pre-NFL. With Wilson, I love the 50/50 ball and attacking style, but there were several of those throws you feel like would be INTs in the NFL. He has to learn to play against a faster style of defender and more complex defenses, too.

Also, while Fields is faster, Lawrence is a better trait-based prospect than either in every other category. He has a stronger arm, he’s bigger, and he’s quicker in his reads.

Daniel from Thomasville, GA

Q: What type of offensive personnel/formation (Ex. 11, 12) appears to suit Trevor’s skill set best?

A: Any and all. I don’t see him being beholden to a personnel grouping. I think the biggest question will be what Urban Meyer wants to run. The Ohio State offense is a lot of 11 personnel with a blocking tight end over a receiving weapon there. Will that change in the pros?

11 personnel is interesting because spreading things out for Lawrence will be most comfortable to what they did at Clemson and it will allow the jet sweeps that are a huge part of what both head coach and quarterback are familiar with.

Andrew from Philadelphia, PA

Q: The Twittersphere is abundant with “long delivery” talk on Trevor. His highlights do seem to show a longer delivery than some although still getting the ball out on time. Is this long delivery an actual concern or overblown? Does he anticipate well enough to make up for any added time on his release?

A: It’s noticeable, but it’s overblown in my eyes. It doesn’t lead to defenders jumping routes, so I don’t see all the concerns. It’s more so that because Lawrence has so few “weaknesses”, people are focusing on the one obvious concern.

Sam from Fargo, ND

Q: If every quarterback in the NFL were in this draft class (at their current age) where would Trevor Lawrence rank among them?

A: Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Russell Wilson, and Trevor Lawrence.

You can follow Matt on Twitter at @nfldraftscout and read his work at TheDraftScout.com.