Will Trevor Lawrence Live Up to the Hype?

Oct 24, 2020; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) makes a pass during their game in the second half against Syracuse at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

The 6'6", 220-pounder has the perfect size and level of mobility to make plays both inside and outside of the pocket. A plus-athlete who has been consistently successful on attempts outside of the tackle box throughout his career, Lawrence will be highly desired by offensive creators who are willing to push his vast skillset and build a varied scheme. He's delivered a catchable ball on 71-of-109 attempts outside of the pocket (65 percent). 

Lawrence has fantastic arm strength that allows him to hit far side throws, deep passes, and overcome improper footwork on a majority of attempts. His quick passing motion has improved over the course of his career, and the result has led to more reliable consistency. He's blossomed as a big-play hunter who lacked drive-to-drive reliability to a more cerebral and consistent playmaker.

The numbers reflect his growth and development. In 2018 as a freshman, he was accurate on 74.6 percent of 331 passes, accurate on 61 percent of throws beyond 10 yards, with 65 percent of his throws coming under 10 yards. That's a respectable number that would've had him towards the upper-half of production of most draft-eligible quarterbacks in the last decade, let alone freshman. 

His sophomore year led to more control of the offense and deeper attempts. He also dealt with a shoulder injury through the first half of the year and he struggled with consistency until it healed. Only 59 percent of his throws were under 10 yards, but he was accurate on 72 percent of his throws and remained steady with 58 percent of throws past 10 yards being accurate.

He showed two different styles and remained in the above-average category of accuracy while still delivering huge chunk plays. It can't be understated that he's an excellent passer on intermediate routes and routinely delivers back-breaking throws that most in college won't attempt.

Lawrence has shown excellent growth mechanically since last season. His front stride has, until this past week against Syracuse, been more efficient and it's led to better balance on short and deep throws. The numbers reflect this. He's been accurate on a whopping 83.6 percent on throws 0-10 yards (up from 76.6 as a freshman and 71 percent as a sophomore), 73 percent past the line of scrimmage (up from 69.5 percent and 64 percent), and 64 percent beyond 10 yards. That puts him in the same company as past top picks Andrew Luck, Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, and Cam Newton. 

Also importantly is he's consistently good when under pressure. He's tallied 114 accurate passes on 187 attempts for a 61 percent completion rate, with 24 touchdowns and four interceptions. He consistently owns conversion downs as well. This situational play is massive for evaluation and he's shown the mental ability to perform under tough circumstances.

Sometimes it's difficult to gain much from Lawrence's performances because of the surrounding cast around him, the scheme, and Clemson’s strength of schedule. The Tigers are so clearly the cream of the crop in the ACC that there's swaths of games where Lawrence does little outside of executing and they win in a blowout. He rarely plays in the fourth quarter. 

What happens when he doesn't have an amazing surrounding cast (if he lands with the Jets or Washington Football Team)? His accuracy numbers were lowered across the board in 2019 compared to other years due to the mixture of his shoulder injury, rushed decision-making and unreliable mechanics. If he's going to consistently bite off more than he should, turnovers and mistakes will stack. He's an aggressive passer and accurate, but a breakdown of his throwing motion leads to overthrows on intermediate attempts and major underthrows on deep passes. 

The deep passing game has been maddening for such a big-armed talent. He'll leave open receivers scrambling to fight for the ball. This was mostly an issue in the season's past, but something to watch for throughout this season. We've seen an elite deep passer in Joe Burrow struggle replicating that success in the NFL, so it'll be fascinating to watch an accurate but not precise deep passer like Lawrence translate his skillset.

Lawrence isn't a foolproof prospect, but his traits and high-baseline make him a tremendous one. He has a terrific arm and brilliant mind that's far too skilled for the collegiate game. He dominates most games without creating Heisman Trophy moments because he doesn't have to exert the same amount of energy as others. 

He makes it look easy until his own mistakes get in his way. His ball placement has been sharper this year than in the past and that will determine what kind of pro he is. The chunk plays and command of the game are similar to Deshaun Watson. Even better accuracy and precision could bring him to a Hall-of-Fame level like Ben Roethlisberger. 

Is Lawrence worth the hype as the best prospect since Andrew Luck? Yes, as long as expectations are that it doesn't mean he's perfect or done learning. He's not quite as clean mechanically as Luck was but he's the best blend of traits, skill and upside since the Stanford star.

His awareness of his own mistakes and self-improvement are incredibly encouraging for what's to come. Hopefully he won't go to a destructive NFL franchise in 2021.