Trevor Lawrence's No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 draft was the least surprising development of the entire offseason.
The rest of his rookie year was far from predictable. The Jaguars threw Lawrence into the fire, which grew into an unruly blaze as things quickly spun out of control under short-lived coach Urban Meyer and the losses piled up.
Now that the dust has settled and the sun has begun to peek over the horizon on a new era under coach Doug Pederson, Lawrence sees a brighter future ahead for both himself and the Jaguars.
"I think this season is going to be a lot different just because we have from myself better leadership, but also around the team," Lawrence said during an appearance on FS1's The Herd. "So I think it's going to be a much different year."
Anything but what happened in 2021 is bound to be better for Jacksonville, a franchise that found itself mired in disarray under Meyer. The experience, while frustrating, was not without value for Lawrence, who was forced to learn how to process frequent losses after enjoying incredibly successful high school and collegiate careers.
"I mean, it was a long year for sure," Lawrence said. "I'd say I think I stayed pretty positive the whole year. There definitely were some times where, especially after a game, you're just going home, and you're just like, man, a losing streak of five or six games in a row, it gets a little rough. I hadn't lost more than five or six games probably my whole career up until that point. So that was definitely a reality check for sure."
Jacksonville won just three games in 2021, a campaign that began with Lawrence losing his Clemson running mate, running back Travis Etienne, during the preseason, and later saw off-field scandal force Meyer out nine days before Christmas. In between, the Jaguars often looked lost without a leader to guide them through the onslaught of struggles.
Eight straight losses from Weeks 10-17 meant the offseason couldn't come fast enough for Jacksonville. But before that arrived, Lawrence found a way to make the most of the situation, gaining valuable experience despite a dismal statistical output.
"Just trying to stay positive, trying to keep the team together, I think that was something I tried to do the whole season. Yeah, it was challenging," Lawrence said. "I think I learned a lot from last year, obviously a different perspective than when you're just winning, like I'd done in the past. So a greater appreciation for winning, for one. And then just being able to overcome some of those challenges and then fix all of them and then now going into a new year with a lot of confidence, good team around us, great staff, I'm really excited."
Lawrence has reason to be excited. Jacksonville replaced the inexperienced Meyer with a coach with both NFL playing experience and a Super Bowl ring. The Jaguars also spent lavishly in the offseason, committing more than $175 million in guaranteed money to new additions before the start of April.
New faces like guard Brandon Scherff, tight end Evan Engram and receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones should make the going at least somewhat easier for Lawrence in Year 2. So should the presence of Pederson, a coach who can relate to Lawrence to a degree from his days as a pro quarterback.
Above all, Lawrence learned how difficult it is to win in the NFL. He also may have just endured his most dysfunctional season in just his first year as a professional. There's nowhere to go but up.
