Remember the 2021 NFL Draft? Yes, the one that saw five quarterbacks go off the board in the top 15, including Trevor Lawrence selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. A draft that has become known as a bust as far as the QB position has seen a bit of a revitalization due to the Clemson product.
The 2025 NFL season started with some hope that a couple of the QBs taken in that draft would soar in new places. Mac Jones, selected with the No. 15 overall pick by the New England Patriots, saw new life in San Francisco. Justin Fields, who went No. 11 overall to the Chicago Bears, got new hope with the New York Jets and the two quarterbacks taken right after Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance got backup roles with the Chargers and Dolphins.
While all four of those quarterbacks hoped to be the next Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold as far as career revitalization in new systems, Lawerence remained the lone QB in the original place that drafted him. He also entered the 2025 NFL season with pressure to be the QB he was drafted to be and the gunslinger he proved to be in the 2022 NFL season when he took the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Trevor Lawrence is that guy once again in Jacksonville
Since that season, however, Lawrence has been considered mediocre. He did suffer an injury in the 2024 NFL Draft season in which the Jaguars went 4-13 and secured a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Healthy and returning to form with a better team around him, Lawerence has been in the forefront of a 2025 turnaround in which the Jaguars went 13-4 under the coaching guidance of Liam Coen.
With the AFC South Champions preparing to host Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Wild Card Weekend, there is a chance for Lawrence to show that 2021 NFL Draft Class shouldn’t be written off.
All eyes or at least most eyes outside of Duval County will be on Allen, but if Lawrence stays true to what makes him a top 10 quarterback by getting the ball down the field and taking care of the ball, it will be a tough task for the Bills to go into Jacksonville and secure an upset.
Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show, Coen remedied what has made his QB successful in the 2025 NFL season.
"He's taking care of the football, but also playing aggressive," Coen said. "He's throwing the ball on time and in rhythm and accurately, but also using his legs as a weapon, and being able to extend football plays, make plays outside of the pocket, which forces the defense to defend every blade of grass.
"There's nothing more frustrating to a defense than you can't get to him when he's in the pocket, then he escapes, he's a threat to run, but also keeps his eyes down the field and makes throws. He's executing third downs and red zone at a high level."
If any team is prepared for that type of play out of the QB position, it is the Bills’ defense who practices against Allen. But, even with that preparation, if they can’t get to a QB who has completed 63% of his passes over the last eight games while throwing for 1,856 yards, it will be a long day and end up as a potential shootout between Allen and Lawrence.
While Mac Jones showed flashes in filling in for Brock Purdry, there isn’t much hope for that 2021 NFL Draft QB class outside of Lawrence. If he can get past Allen and lead the Jaguars on a deep playoff run, he alone can change the narrative of that draft class by becoming the franchise cornerstone he was drafted to be.