On Friday morning, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence -- the expected No. 1 overall pick at the 2021 NFL draft -- held his pro day for scouts and evaluators. I had the opportunity to be there and see him make 52 throws and chat with him a bit after the workout.
The 6-foot-6, 213-pound junior QB opted to have the session ahead of surgery on his left labrum -- his non-throwing shoulder. The procedure is not expected to impact his availability for the beginning of training camp in July. Among the 16 NFL teams in attendance on Friday were the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have the opportunity to select Lawrence at No. 1 this April.
Here are some of my big takeaways from the pro day workout and what comes next for the talented quarterback.
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1. Lawrence showed his competitiveness just by having the workout
So many draft-eligible quarterbacks are super particular about these types of events each year and want them to be on their terms. Often they won't have a throwing session like this until they get seven or eight weeks working with a quarterback coach after the end of their final college season. Often they will make sure the receivers are all teammates or at least guys they have spent a lot of time throwing to in the past. And often they will take time to carefully plan out the session to highlight their strengths. At the end of the day, pro days for quarterbacks are scripted workouts without a defense -- but players still take every advantage they can with them.
But Friday's workout didn't have a ton of lead-up and preparation. It was moved up a month after new Jaguars coach Urban Meyer called and asked if he could see Lawrence throw before getting surgery. Meyer had not had the chance to see Lawrence throw live this year and wanted to get a look at the player who might be his new quarterback in Jacksonville. And of the four receivers running routes, only Cornell Powell played at Clemson last season. The other three were NFL free agents.
Many guys would balk at that type of situation, but Lawrence said let's do it. He said yes when he didn't really have to. He's the top pick, and he didn't have much to gain by throwing this week. But he did it anyway. I love that competitiveness. He doesn't shy away from anything and has a real maturity.
2. He took care of business
His throwing session went about as well as you would have expected for a QB with this much intrigue. He was on time with his throws and surgical in his delivery. Of the 52 passes, I'd be nitpicking to point out any mistakes. A few fluttered a bit, and he did overthrow one deep out route while rolling to his left. But otherwise, it was business as usual. And for what it's worth, Lawrence himself said to me afterwards that he felt it went well.
The final throw of the day jumped out to me. It was a simulated broken play in which Lawrence extended and unleashed a 60-plus-yard pass that dropped in perfectly to his receiver. The arm strength and pocket mobility are for real. But of course, we've already seen that on tape time and time again.
3. The red zone passes were placed perfectly
No, there wasn't a defense out there on Friday. But even if there had been, Lawrence was putting his red zone balls in spots where only his receiver could get them. His throws inside the 20-yard line were placed nice and high, away from danger, and he was getting the ball out quickly. High release and high location with consistency. It was impressive.
4. The athletic ability stands out
For a 6-foot-6 guy, Lawrence has rare twitchiness in the pocket. He has a compact release to get the ball out. Boom, and the ball is there. That's an important trait in today's NFL, with some many offenses utilizing the quick game, especially slants off run-pass options.
Urban actually even acknowledged that ability to me himself, since it is a big part of what offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer do with the Jags' offense. If Lawrence lands in Jacksonville, you'll see a lot of shotgun snaps with RPOs, quick throws and screens, and plenty of vertical attempts down the sideline. In a way it's similar to the type of offense Lawrence ran at Clemson.
5. If I could see more of one thing from him ...
... it would be anticipatory intermediate-level throws. It's not really his fault -- Clemson just didn't run a bunch of those types of plays. But the catalogue isn't deep there. I'm talking about the timing throws on guys coming across the middle in that midrange distance. He did look good there today (again, no defense), and it shouldn't be a huge factor if he ends up in Jacksonville with that offense, but if I'm pried for one area I still want to see more from, it's those intermediate timing passes.
6. The Jaguars' staff wants to know everything they can about him
It's clear that Meyer and his assistants really want to get to know Lawrence. Meyer spent the session not far from where Lawrence was taking the snaps taking to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. When I chatted with him, he wanted to know how often I had seen Lawrence throw live and what he's like. To me, the most impressive thing about Lawrence is that he never wavers. He is always calm and under control. When he makes a mistake, he wants to know what happened and why, but he never gets flustered. That's super valuable in a franchise quarterback, and Lawrence seems ready to be one.
Drafting a QB first overall is a massive investment in the franchise, and the Jaguars are clearly doing their homework. Going back to its first season in 1995, Jacksonville has never before had the No. 1 pick. It's sure a good time to get that lucky.
And how about 15 other teams showing up in some capacity? Perhaps they are just preparing for the unexpected. Perhaps they are doing a little pre-scouting to see what they might face next season. Perhaps some wanted to see Powell, who I have a late-round grade on at the moment. But regardless, half the NFL turned out to see the highly touted quarterback prospect throw. And he didn't disappoint.