LOOK: Jaguars Release First Photos of No. 1 Overall Pick Trevor Lawrence in Teal Jersey
If Jacksonville Jaguars fans need a reminder that last week's drafting of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 overall really happened, they got their wish on Thursday as the Jaguars revealed the first official look of Lawrence donning a teal No. 16 Jaguars jersey.
Not only does the picture give a first look at Lawrence wearing the Jaguars' colors, but it confirms the obvious in terms of what number Lawrence will wear at the NFL level: 16, the same number he wore at Clemson and in high school in Georgia.
Lawrence was selected by the Jaguars to kick off last Thursday's draft, with the talented and accomplished passer becoming the first-ever No. 1 overall pick in Jaguars history. The Jaguars drafted nine players overall, taking Lawrence's teammate running back Travis Etienne at No. 25 overall.
"I honestly was not expecting it at all. And we had been celebrating and hanging out and taking pictures and doing everything, so we weren't even really watching the draft. And then we knew we were picking at No. 25, so we started watching around No. 20. I had no idea who we were going to take and then I got a text right before it went on TV, ‘We’re picking Travis,'" Lawrence said on Friday.
"So, I was like, ‘I didn’t even know we were taking a running back.’ It was awesome. So, like I said it just makes it special. I’ve got someone to come with me from Clemson and it's just awesome.”
In Lawrence, the Jaguars have their first-ever potential star quarterback. Lawrence has long been anointed as one of the next great quarterback prospects, with many grading him as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck or John Elway.
But for all of the excitement that Lawrence brings to the Jaguars' fan base, and for all the attention that Lawrence's arrival has put on Jacksonville's rebuild, head coach Urban Meyer has made it clear what Lawrence's No. 1 mission in Jacksonville will be: to win football games in the same Jaguars uniform he posed in today.
"It played a significant role, you know. I mean, and we’re going to be cautious. I’ve talked to Shad [Khan] and Jim agrees. The most important thing for Trevor is to learn the offense, it’s not to sell billboards around the state of Florida," Meyer said.
"And we’re going to be very cautious about that. The good thing is that’s very important to him. He’s not a guy, as you can see, he’s not even at the draft. His focus is he wants to live here, he wants to move here, he wants to train here, he wants to win. Obviously, that’s very appealing to our staff.”
Lawrence landing with the Jaguars at No. 1 overall was far from surprising, with him being the odds-on favorite to be the draft's top pick all throughout the regular season. But even with the entire football world knowing what direction the Jaguars were taking with the top pick, the team still did their due diligence in making sure Lawrence was the right pick.
"You’re very fortunate when you know which direction you’re going and you’re sitting at one, what you’re allowed to discuss with him over the phone. This season, you’re only allowed five Zoom calls with him," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said following the draft's first round last week.
"We used those very strategically and we’ve done a lot of phone conversations as well. We feel very good about where he’s at within the learning process already and now we can expedite it.”
