Column: The Jaguars Can Ignore the Noise When It Comes to Trevor Lawrence

If you haven't heard the noise when it comes to Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, it is quite the feat.

Both critics and defenders of Lawrence have each come out in droves in recent weeks, taking up the annual debate of who is truly the draft's top quarterback.

But while most have been unable to stay out of the discussion one way or another, the Jacksonville Jaguars can take solace in the fact that they are the rare party who can ignore the noise.

Lawrence has been the most talked-about quarterback in college football for the last three seasons, overtaking the likes of Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, and all others.

This was the case during the regular season as Lawrence rallied Clemson to a start of their season and then helped lead them to an appearance in the College Football Playoffs for the third year in a row. And it is the case now, as Lawrence is appearing to now have to fend off the draft cycle theories on whether he should be challenged as the top quarterback in 2021.

Zach Wilson > Trevor Lawrence?

🤯🤯🤯https://t.co/wzbkAxvcJV pic.twitter.com/cV1uYzIZ6I
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 18, 2021

It is fair for teams and media pundits alike to question if Lawrence is truly the draft's best passer. The Jaguars need to know this answer more than anyone else in the NFL, though all signs thus far point to them believing in him as the best prospect.

But ultimately each year, the draft process is more or less the same. There is always going to be debate over who is QB1. It happened in 2012 with Andrew Luck, and it is happening now in 2020 with Lawrence. This can be attributed to the needed media cycle of debate during the offseason months, as well as the fact that the quarterback position is such a difficult and unique evaluation that it is impossible to expect everyone to come away with the same opinion.

.@nfldraftscout and @realrclark25 aren't sold on Trevor Lawrence 🧐

"I cannot get out of my mind Trevor Lawrence ... facing Joe Burrow and being totally out-played. And then I can't get out of my mind the next year doing the same thing against Justin Fields." pic.twitter.com/reFSRQmIyz
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 19, 2021

But for the Jaguars, that doesn't matter. They don't have to care what the talking heads say; teams don't operate based on the media. They can just bury themselves in the evaluation process and come out on the other side with a quarterback they fully believe in, who will likely be Lawrence.

For years, Lawrence was hailed as a generational prospect, a can't-miss pick, and the unquestioned No. 1 overall pick. Now that we are left with months before the draft card is turned in, that talk has somewhat gone out the window on the national stage.

This doesn't and won't matter to the Jaguars, however. They have to find out who the draft's top quarterback is, but they don't need to ask themselves questions like how Lawrence compares to Joe Burrow. They don't need to wonder if he is a generational quarterback or the best since Luck. They don't need to ask if he is as talented as Justin Herbert.

Instead, the Jaguars need to know if Lawrence is the best option for them at quarterback right now. The answer is almost assuredly yes, but it is a question any team with the top pick would have to ask.

Debate is healthy. Debate is why the NFL draft industry is where it is now. And debate will and should continue as long as the draft process continues, whether it is about Lawrence or the next supposedly elite quarterback prospect.

But the Jaguars aren't like the media or fans. They don't need to listen to the noise. They can ignore it and wait until they control the conversation -- a day better known as draft day.

Add us as a preferred source on Google