What Advice Trevor Lawrence Would Give the Jaguars' Next No. 1 Pick

Not every athlete knows the pressures that come with being the No. 1 overall pick. Thankfully for the next Jaguars' pick, they will have a confidant in Trevor Lawrence who knows exactly what they are experiencing.

Few NFL players know the pressure of being the No. 1 overall draft pick. Becoming the first player selected in an entire crop of talented and productive prospects comes with its own built-in cross to bear; a cross that not all players are built to handle.

For the second year in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be making the all-important call of deciding who the first pick is. And now, the player they gave that honor and responsibility to in 2021 has some words to help the player they will select later this month.

Jacksonville made Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence the franchise's first-ever No. 1 pick last April. Lawrence went on to start all 17 games for Jacksonville, often being the face of the franchise and voice of the locker room during the dysfunctional and disastrous Urban Meyer era. 

Few No. 1 picks had as much on their plate as Lawrence did last year, with Lawrence often having to serve as the Jaguars' de-facto adult in the room through a number of drama-filled instances on and off the field that were fueled by Meyer.

The experience gave Lawrence some valuable insight into what it takes to rise above adversity. It also gave him a chance to figure out exactly what he would want the next No. 1 pick to know.

“Well I’m sure whoever it is, once he gets here, I can help him a little bit," Lawrence said on Tuesday. "Obviously, I had a lot of [adversity]. I don’t know if you could come up with more challenges besides getting injured your rookie year than we had, so I’m sure I could give a little bit of advice."

It still remains to be seen exactly who that No. 1 pick will be. Lawrence was always the obvious and consensus top pick, even before the Jaguars earned the No. 1 pick. 

This year, however, is much different. There are a few players who have long been rumored to be strong options at No. 1 such as Michigan edge defender Aidan Hutchinson, while other players such as Georgia edge defender Travon Walker have recently seen their stocks rise to the possibility of No. 1. 

Add in North Carolina State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu and Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal and there are a number of options for the Jaguars at No. 1. But whoever the pick is, Lawrence's advice won't change.

"I think just coming in and some of the stuff, like I said, when I got here last year was just coming in earning the respect of your teammates. That’s stuff you can do that it doesn’t take any talent, it doesn’t take any skill," Lawrence said. "You just come in and do things the right way, treat people right. I think that’s going to be big and then really just buy into what we’re trying to make the culture here. I think [Head Coach] Coach [Doug] Pederson has a clear vision of that, the whole staff does. Now it’s getting all of the players on board and we’re going to do that. 

"Last year we bought in too. So, it’s having the right guys in place and all of us buying in, that’s what it takes and I’m confident we’re going to do that. So, whoever it is, that’s truly all you have to do. Your play on the field is going to speak for itself and obviously you have to perform. It’s about performance. Same thing for me, I have to play better next year. I didn’t play great last year. The work will show, and you’ll take care of that on the field, but just how you carry yourself and treat people [is important].”