Can Trevor Lawrence win NFL MVP in his first year?

Posted on by Jim Smarts

The NFL 2021 draft is over and Trevor Lawrence would have to wait a few more months before making his big league debut. But his presence has already had a bearing on the opening odds for the 2021-2022 season. Lawrence, after being picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL Draft in April, is widely expected by the franchise fans to replicate his three-year Clemson run at Duval.

What makes Lawrence one of the favorite rookies this season?

During his college playing days, he made such an impact on evaluators and oddsmakers that the bettors have given him 200/1 odds to win the MVP award next year. That’s impressive for any given layer, even more so for a rookie.

Lawrence was drafted with the 24th best chances, behind Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, two other recent first-round quarterbacks.

Jimmy Garoppolo (80/1), Dalvin Cook (80/1), Jared Goff (80/1), Ryan Fitzpatrick (80/1), DeAndre Hopkins (100/1), and Travis Kelce (100/1) are among the prominent veterans Lawrence was put ahead of.

Trevor Lawrence’s expectations from his team

Lawrence would be in a decent position on offense if his team can cover him, as their skill weapons are plenty to intimidate the opponent. For instance, Trevor will get support from James Robinson, Colin Johnson, DJ Chark Jr., and Laviska Shenault Jr. hence, if the offense clicks, the Jaguars might well be in a favorable position and that will also boost Lawrence’s chance to finish on the top. However, there are certain limitations that the football sensation from Clemson should be aware of.

Achieving the impossible: Can Trevor make it to the history books?

Securing the MVP title as a rookie is almost an unlikely feat. It’ll be much more difficult because Lawrence is set to join a team that only finished with the worst record in the NFL at 1-15 last season. It wouldn’t be anything less than a fairy tale if the Jacksonville-based franchise bounces back incredibly this season and if eventually, their quarterback wins the MVP honor.

Lamar Jackson (2019), Patrick Mahomes (2018), Kurt Warner (1999), Dan Marino (1984), Earl Campbell (1979), and Jim Brown (1957, 1958) are the only players in NFL history to win MVP within their first two seasons (1957, 1958). Brown is the only player among this group of six who has earned the trophy as a rookie.

Larence’s shoulders just got heavier with expectations

From the moment he joins the team, he will be expected to improve the offense and locker room ambiance, and these high odds placed on him show exactly that. Lawrence does have an advantage in that he is a quarterback, and the MVP award has practically been a signal-caller award. But the Jaguars must first get their record to .500 before talks of an MVP emerging from their roster can happen.

Trevor Lawrence’s past record is impressive

Lawrence threw for 10,098 yards (8.9 yards per attempt, 9.8 adjusted yards per attempt) for 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions over the course of his career. He also ran for 943 yards and 18 touchdowns on the field. He’s not flawless, but there’s a good case to be made that he’s the best quarterback prospect of the last decade. And that fuels the speculation on whether he can join Jim Brown on an eternal record that no one else has achieved.