ESPN's Stephen A. Smith: 'Trevor Lawrence is coming' |
All aboard the
Trevor Lawrence hype train. The latest? ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
In a First Take segment on the QBs set to make the biggest leap this season, Smith identified the 2021 No. 1 overall NFL draft pick as the one to watch after Lawrence's impressive NFL playoffs comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers. "To be that young coming out of Clemson -- No. 1 overall pick -- the expectations, 6-foot-6 with that arm. When I think about Trevor Lawrence, I think about a (Chargers QB) Justin Herbert, I think about those kind of comparisons -- and to show up in the playoffs and to outperform Justin Herbert in that second half," Smith said. "To be assisted by Doug Pederson. To look at his teammates have the faith in him that they have. I'm telling you right now, Trevor Lawrence is coming. You say No. 1 overall pick and expectations and he was supposed to do this, but dammit he did it. You don't see too many people overcoming a 27-point deficit in the first half. Particularly when you were the one throwing four interceptions. "And to make that type of immediate turnaround in the same game and come back from that, I think that's a building element there...We're not talking enough about him. We need to." Smith isn't alone in his lofty words for Lawrence, as CBS NFL columnist Pete Prisco personally told Lawrence that the former Tigers QB was his NFL MVP pick: .@PriscoCBS tells Trevor Lawrence he is his pick for MVP this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/HbX61S8TTR Lawrence checked in at No. 8 on a FOX Sports QB ranking this week, but that could change quickly with another dynamic season. "Trevor Lawrence stamped his arrival as a franchise quarterback in the second half of last season, and the sky seems to be his limit entering Year 3," said the outlet. "Being in his second season with coach Doug Pederson and in an offense returning nine starters, the former No. 1 overall pick should naturally continue ascending. And the way we saw Josh Allen hit another gear with Stefon Diggs' arrival in Buffalo in 2020 and Jalen Hurts do the same with A.J. Brown last season, Calvin Ridley could be that game-changing receiver for Lawrence, who showcased the clutch gene last season (a four-touchdown second-half performance in the wild-card win over the Chargers, after a four-interception first half). The former Clemson star hasn't been consistently great over multiple seasons like other guys on this list, but 2023 is when his resume should continue expanding." Lawrence does have some room to grow in respect from his NFL peers, however, which ranked him No. 96 overall in the NFL's top players. No. 96 is disrespectful tbh .@stephenasmith thinks Trevor Lawrence will make the biggest QB leap this season 🤔
Stream #NFLTop100 on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/GM6aLKq9jj
"I'm telling you right now, Trevor Lawrence is coming‼️" pic.twitter.com/N611QzWnuX
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
