Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence Just Became the NFL's Most Criminally Underrated QB

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Being underrated is nothing new for any member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In most ways, it comes with the territory.

But ESPN's latest polling of the NFL's top quarterbacks shows that even after an MVP-caliber season, Trevor Lawrence is more than just underrated. In fact, he appears to be the most criminally underrated quarterback in the entire NFL entering the 2026 season.

Lawrence's Case

In the ranking of the NFL's top 20 passers, which ESPN conducted with votes from anonymous scouts, coaches, and executives, Lawrence came in at No. 16 -- one spot behind Baker Mayfield and one spot ahead of Jalen Hurts, two quarterbacks whose franchises do not exactly appear to be sold on.

Even in the summary of Lawrence's place on the list, which places him above fellow AFC South quarterbacks Daniel Jones (No. 19) and C.J. Stroud (No. 20). Lawrence receives a backhanded compliment more than anything else.

"He has controlled his turnovers and just has a better understanding of what defenses are trying to do against him. ... He plays better ball when the offensive infrastructure and personnel around him set him up for success instead of asking him to do everything on your own. Liam [Coen] did a nice job in Year 1 of giving him the answers to the test pre-snap," an AFC offensive coach told Fowler.

Several quarterbacks came in lower than expected on the rankings, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. But Lawrence was in the same stratosphere as Hurts, a limited passer who is consistently churning through play-callers and targets, Bo Nix, a Gardner Minshew-knockoff with a hefty price tag, and then Jones and Stroud.

Some of the quarterbacks ahead of Lawrence include Caleb Williams at No. 10, who has had just the singular productive season; Jayden Daniels, who has also had just the one productive season except his was in 2024; Sam Darnold, who was more or less carried to a Super Bowl ring; and Baker Mayfield, whose summary included the fact that he is a "winner" despite having a sub-.500 career winning percentage.

That is not to say Lawrence is flawless himself. His 2024 season was the worst of his career that wasn't led by Urban Meyer, and he has had bouts with injuries and inconsistency as well. But is there any reason to believe that Lawrence, coming off arguably the best year of his career, will not be able to continue to ascend in 2026.

trevor lawrence t — Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) reacts after rushing for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the top-three quarterbacks, which consists of Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Matthew Stafford, there seems to be a fair argument to make that the rest of the top-10 and beyond could be ranked in any real order. But an order that has Lawrence as the 16th-best quarterback makes little sense.

Would Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions turn down a swap of Lawrence and Jared Goff? Is there any reason to believe a competent general manager would prefer Mayfield over Lawrence, considering we now know how much heavy-lifting Liam Coen did for Mayfield's reputation? Lawrence would elevate both teams to Super Bowl contender status, which is far from where either of those franchises are now.

trevor lawrence touchdown — Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) celebrates with tight end Brenton Strange (85) after a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Few quarterbacks were more valuable and productive in the NFL a year ago than Lawrence. Now that he had an NFL-caliber supporting cast and support system around him, his natural talent and potential shined through in a way it hasn't since, well, the last time he had such a strong cast and atmosphere to work in in 2022. Lawrence has proven that when he isn't putting out fires on a snap-to-snap basis for the rest of the franchise, there are not many quarterbacks who can go toe-to-toe with him.

Perhaps this means Lawrence just needs another strong year, a way to prove to those around the NFL that his success in 2025 was not a one-year blip brought on by the hiring of Coen. That would be a fair argument to make, which is why it is not exactly a travesty that some of these quarterbacks are ahead of Lawrence.

But Daniels, Williams, Goff, and Mayfield? There is zero argument to make in the present day for any of them. Daniels especially is coming off a brutal season that calls into question his long-term viability due to injury issues. Can he produce in a different offensive system than the one he produced in during his stellar rookie season?

Lawrence is not in the Allen-Mahomes-Stafford tier, not yet. He is as talented as any quarterback in the NFL, but he has more to do to earn that recognition. But there is no reality where he is the 16th-best quarterback in the NFL, which effectively makes him the NFL's most underrated passer.

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