Doug Pederson 'Truly' Believes in Jaguars Quarterback Trevor Lawrence

Former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence had a huge effect on the new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.

The Trevor Lawrence effect had a huge effect on the new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. 

During his introductory press conference on Saturday, Pederson talked about his year out of coaching and why he wanted to take over in Jacksonville. Like most prospective employees this time of year, Pederson wanted the quarterback position to be right. And for him, it is. 

“That’s something I obviously looked at with the teams that were searching for head coaches, ‘Who is the quarterback?’ and ‘Is that person in place?’ And here, it is. I truly believe that," Pederson said. “Everything, as I’ve done my research on Trevor and talked to people, even talked to coaches who have played against them this past year, say nothing but great things."

Pederson, an offensive-minded coach, will give Lawrence some real stability that he lacked last year when Urban Meyer tried to make the transition from college to the NFL. Pederson has already won at the highest level as he claimed a Super Bowl title in 2017. 

"I’m just excited to come in here, roll up my sleeves and go to work, create a system that enhances his skillset and be successful,” Pederson said. 

When he looks at Lawrence, he believes "the sky's the limit." The former Clemson star lost just two games as a starter in college and was the easy decision for No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

But behind a poor offensive line and without many playmakers, Lawrence struggled in his rookie season, throwing 17 interceptions to 12 touchdowns and completing just 59 percent of his passes. 

The Jaguars won just three games in 2021 and have the No. 1 pick in this year's draft. While that also likely enticed Pederson, he knows turning the Jaguars into an instant winner and getting the most out of Lawrence won't happen overnight. 

"This is not, 'We're just going to snap our fingers and start winning football games,'" Pederson said. "Our goal is to win football games, but we're going to do it one player, one coach, one person in the organization at a time. It's about ownership. It's about support. It's about leadership. That's what I'll bring to the organization."

Pederson and the Jaguars own the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, who according to Fanduel, is expected to be Aidan Hutchinson at +160.

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