JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With training camp right around the corner, it’s time to look at the Jaguars roster position by position.
Each day this week, News4JAX takes a look at each offensive unit on the Jaguars.
First up, the quarterbacks.
The Jaguars are heading into their first season under coach Doug Pederson. Part of the reason Pederson’s presence is expected to make a huge impact on the team is the impact he can make on quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Pederson is a former quarterback in the NFL and knows how to speak Lawrence’s language. He will be instrumental in Lawrence’s development this season and into the immediate future.
On the roster
Trevor Lawrence
Stats: 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 59.6 completion percentage.
The franchise quarterback. It’s that simple. Lawrence had a rocky rookie season with the Jaguars. Despite the uneven start to his career, the expectations for Lawrence are still sky-high. With a new offensive-minded head coach at the helm and big money wide receiver to throw to, Lawrence is in a much better spot now than he was a year ago.
C.J. Beathard
With a starting QB in place, Beathard has taken on the role of the veteran backup. Pederson has been complimentary of Beathard’s presence around Lawrence during the offseason. He’s started games in the NFL and knows what it takes to play. Last season, Beathard had solid showings during the preseason and went 2 of 2 passing in relief of Lawrence. That led some fans to ask if Beathard should have stayed on the field.
Jake Luton
He’s back. After getting cut at the end of training camp last year, Luton bounced around with stops in Miami and Seattle. Now, Luton is back in Jacksonville with the team that drafted him. During his rookie season in 2020, Luton started three games for the Jaguars and showed some potential.
EJ Perry
As an undrafted free agent, the Jaguars gave Perry a contract with $230,000 of guaranteed money. That is one of the top undrafted free agent deals that was handed out this year. Perry started his college career at Boston College and finished at Brown University. Perry had a few rough days during rookie minicamp this summer and will look to turn up the heat during camp.
Outlook
The Jaguars quarterback situation comes down to one number — 16. The team will go as Lawrence goes. The offensive struggles of 2021 were of concern, but Lawrence played every game and only missed a handful of snaps. That sort of game experience is valuable. Now, it is up to Lawrence to build off last season. We’ve seen other young quarterbacks like Joe Burrow take a huge leap from Year 1 to Year 2. Yes, the situation between Burrow and Lawrence is different but with the cloud of dysfunction that surrounded the team last year, it is not out of the question to think Lawrence could make a monumental leap in his season.