JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars may pick at the top of the NFL draft again, certainly not what the franchise had in mind when this season began.
There were high hopes. There was excitement.
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And then, the real games started.
With yet another major rebuild on the way, the focus now as a disastrous and turbulent season winds down remains the development of Trevor Lawrence.
The No. 1 overall draft pick has endured a season unlike he’s ever experienced. Interim coach Darrell Bevell said that he continues to be impressed by Lawrence’s ability to manage a difficult season.
“The NFL season is hard enough just being a rookie and playing the position that he gets to play. You know, there’s a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and anytime you add any more distractions or, you know, outside interference into that … it adds to that,” Bevell said. “I like the way he’s handled it. I think he’s been a true professional about it. He continues to work and has been about his business each and every day.”
At 2-12 after Sunday’s 30-16 loss to the Texans, the Jaguars are at the bottom of the NFL standings.
Again.
About the only positive in Week 15 was Detroit’s upset win over Arizona that moved Jacksonville into the top position in the NFL draft. Unlike last season when there was a clearly defined top prospect in Lawrence, this year’s draft is good on depth and lean on a generational-type prospect.
Edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux are the consensus 1-2 or 2-1 players in the draft. Jacksonville has its quarterback in Lawrence and there isn’t a passer in this draft — at least right now — that would warrant the No. 1 overall selection and a team sending a boatload of picks to the Jaguars for that selection.
Of course, draft position is of little consolation to current coaches and players. The franchise wants to keep developing Lawrence, keep him healthy and not allow the misery of arguably the worst season in franchise history to do lasting damage to him.
While the 1-15 season under Doug Marrone in 2020 stands as the worst, recordwise, in Jacksonville’s 27-year history, the current season tops even that low point.
The Urban Meyer drama brought more embarrassment to the franchise than anything the Marrone-led Jaguars accomplished.
This Jacksonville team remains on pace to be the lowest-scoring in franchise history. The 2011 team scored 243 points in 16 games, a 15.2 per game average. This season’s team is averaging 14 ppg. It gets an additional game since the NFL expanded to a 17-game regular season and still may not score as many as the 2011 team.
For Bevell, who took over in the interim role after Meyer’s post-midnight firing, Lawrence has shown leadership even with a stat sheet that is disappointing for the No. 1 overall pick. Lawrence has thrown 14 interceptions this season, including a career-worst four of those against the Texans on Dec. 12. That game, a 20-0 loss, was the first time Jacksonville had been shut out in a game since 2009.
After throwing a combined five touchdown passes in his first three games, Lawrence has thrown just four touchdowns in the 11 games since.
“One, it’s a grind and it’s a long season. Then the lack of success that we’ve had and then all the other distractions,” Bevell said. “I think that was one thing when you looked at him at Clemson that you really liked was, he was very poised under pressure, and he’s been in some big moments. So, he’s kind of come here and done the exact same thing.”
Bevell said on Monday that he’ll shake things up this week when Jacksonville visits the Jets (3-11). He’ll turn playcalling duties over to Brian Schottenheimer.
“Super confident in him. I love working with him each and every day. Total 100% confidence that he will do a great job. And he already we’ve spent enough weeks together here to kind of know the ins and outs of it with each other in terms of what we like and the things we want to go to,” Bevell said.
“But I basically told him, hey, it’s his deal. I’m turning it all over to him. So, put his own personality on it. ... There’s not going to be drastic changes but it will be his personality and it’ll look different.”
Bevell also said that starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken ankle against Houston on Sunday.
Amid the NFL ramping up COVID protocols, Bevell said the Jaguars will continue to meet as a team in person, not virtually. The players, coaches and support staff will be masked and socially distanced when meeting.