Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence: Franchise Passer Takes No. 1 Spot, But What's Next?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- We have reached the final spot in our countdown of the most important Jacksonville Jaguars.

We have detailed each of the most important players set to lead the Jaguars on the field in 2026, but now we are at the final spot: No. 1 overall. To little surprise, that distinction goes to none other than Jaguars franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Why Trevor Lawrence is So Important

TREVOR LAWRENCE EVERBANK — Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card Round game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This goes without saying, but we will say it anyways. The starting quarterback is always going to be the player who bests determines wins and losses on an individual level, and it is hard to win many games without a strong talent under center. Lawrence has proven to be that talent time and time again throughout his career, culminating in an MVP-level performance in 2025 in what was his best season yet.

When Lawrence is at his best, the Jaguars are hard to beat. The Jaguars went 4-3 to start the 2025 season, a period in which Lawrence failed to stand out in terms of production to start the year. But once Lawrence's numbers, both in terms of volume production and efficiency, exploded over the second-half of the year, the Jaguars proved to be a tough out each and every week. The Jaguars went 9-1 over the final 10 weeks, largely because of the performance of Lawrence.

No matter how strong the Jaguars' defense is or how well the running game is clicking, it is Lawrence who is the Jaguars' ultimate X-Factor at the end of the day. As the result, there is nobody else who could have taken the No. 1 spot.

Trevor Lawrence's Strengths and Weaknesses

Lawrence has proven over the years that he has every trait you are looking for in a franchise quarterback: he is athletic, has a big arm, vision and instincts for the position, and he can make every single throw. When Lawrence is on a roll and is really feeling it, he can preciscely cut through a defense with either efficient attacks over the middle of the field, or with bombs and explosives down the sidelines.

Lawrence's athletic ability has allowed him to add an extra element to the offense as well. He consistently is able to evade defenders in the pocket and make plays out of structure, while Liam Coen was able to tap into his rushing upside in the red-zone last year. He is a threat to scramble and has proven to be even better on the move than he is when kept in the pocket at times.

If there is an area Lawrence needs to improve, it is simply the ball security. Fumbles while he is running out of the pocket have been an issue in the past, and he has a habit of his turnovers often coming at the worst times such as third-down or in the red-zone.

What Happens if the Jaguars Need to Replace Trevor Lawrence

This would be an issue. The Jaguars have never exactly had strong quarterback rooms behind Lawrence, with the best backup in his career being Mac Jones in 2024. Jones, of course, is situation-dependent and went 2-5 as a starter in 2024 and did not play like he did a year ago with the San Francisco 49ers. In short, it is not exactly a due problem for the Jaguars to not have a reliable option to turn to if Lawrence is ever injured.

The Jaguars are hardly alone here, though. Many teams throughout the NFL are in the same exact spot as the Jaguars at the backup quarterback position, and there simply are not enough starting-caliber quarterbacks in the NFL to fill every void on a depth chart.

With that said, a Lawrence injury in 2026 would likely mean Nick Mullens getting the keys at quarterback. The Jaguars could pursue other options, but Mullens feels like the most obvious answer in the short-term.

Why We Ranked Trevor Lawrence Here

trevor lawrebce — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs off the field after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In the 10 years before Lawrence was drafted, the Jaguars won a combined 44 games -- and this included 10 of these wins coming in one season in 2017. By comparison, the Lawrence-era Jaguars have won 35 games in five seasons with him starting. Take out his 3-14 rookie season, and Lawrence has averaged eight wins a year as a starter.

In those 10 years before Lawrence, the Jaguars had five fourth-place finishes in the AFC South, four third-place finishes, and the lone first-place finish. Lawrence, meanwhile, has guided the Jaguars to two AFC South titles in half the time, and the team's lone last-place finish in the AFC South came in Lawrence's rookie year when Urban Meyer was pontificating on who No. 99 for the Los Angeles Rams was.

In short, Lawrence has helped the Jaguars do the one thing no other quarterback since Mark Brunell has been able to do somewhat consistently: win. After a 13-4 record last year, the expectation is for Lawrence to be even better in his second year under head coach Liam Coen. As long as he meets that, then the Jaguars will have quite a few more wins heading their way with Lawrence largely to thank.

trevo — Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA;Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) talks to reporters after the game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even if Lawrence was not surpremely talented, though, he would still land at the No. 1 spot just due to the sheer nature of the quarterback position. Gardner Minshew was not the most talented player on the 2020 Jaguars, but he was the most important due to how much a quarterback can swing the results of games.

There are some exceptions: Myles Garrett was arguably more important to the Browns' cause last year than Joe Flacco and Shedeur Sanders. Jalen Ramsey was more important than Blake Bortles in 2017. But in most cases, the quarterback has to be the most important player on the team, and the hope has to be that he can be worthy of the designation. For the Jaguars, Lawrence checks each box.

What's Next?

trevor lawrenc — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) proudly wears his AFC South Division Champions hat during the fourth quarter in an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7 [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This is the biggest question facing Lawrence after his red-hot 2025 season. Lawrence has been the most important player on the Jaguars' roster since the day Frank Gore converted a first down against the Los Angeles Rams during a New York Jets upset win in 2020. Since Lawrence was promised to the Jaguars with the No. 1 pick, he has been that key piece. But we are a long way from draft day, and the sixth-year Lawrence should now be hitting another stride as a player.

Lawrence showed signs of doing so in the offseason, having arguably the best offseason he has ever had with the team. If this momentum can carry over to training camp and then as early as Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, then Lawrence could prove to be closer to his sky-high ceiling than he ever has been before.

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