The NY Jets cannot and would not pass on Trevor Lawrence

The NY Jets cannot and would not pass on Trevor Lawrence if they get the chance to draft him.

The NY Jets find themselves in a position that few would have predicted going into the year. It’s not necessarily the 0-3 start that is surprising, more so the conversation surrounding that disastrous start.

Most would have predicted that if the Jets were to start 0-3, fans would be discussing who their next head coach might be. And while that certainly is partially true, it’s ignoring a big part of the equation.

A discussion has been started about Sam Darnold. More superficially about who might be the one to replace Darnold, perhaps as soon as next season.

And that conversation has centered solely around Clemson star Trevor Lawrence.

Week 3 of the 2020 season isn’t even over and we’re already having serious discussions about the possibility of the Jets getting the No. 1 overall pick and drafting Lawrence to replace Darnold.

It’s a reality that few foresaw, but it is indeed reality.

Lawrence is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect to enter the NFL since Andrew Luck. Perhaps that’s become a bit of a tired trope at this point, but it’s true — he’s that good.

Since the day he took over as Clemson’s starting quarterback, many were insisting that Lawrence would one day be a first-round NFL Draft selection. And by the end of his freshman season, most were convinced that he was a future No. 1 overall pick.

That opinion hasn’t changed and it’s unlikely that it will from now until next April. There hasn’t been a solidified consensus first overall pick this far out from the draft in a very long time.

But again, Trevor Lawrence is just that good. And for that reason, the Jets simply won’t be able to pass on him.

Trevor Lawrence is just too good for the NY Jets to pass on.

On the list of things currently wrong with the Jets, Sam Darnold isn’t very high up. That isn’t meant to excuse his poor play this season, it’s more so an indictment on just how many issues the Jets have.

Darnold is in the middle of his third NFL season and he’s arguably playing the worst football of his career. Put aside the awful coaching staff and abysmal roster for a moment.

The Jets don’t know what they have in Darnold and they probably won’t be able to accurately determine that before the season is over. That’s a problem seeing as though the team needs to make a decision on his fifth-year option this upcoming offseason.

Darnold is under contract next season, but nothing is guaranteed beyond that. And based on what we’ve seen this year, it’s hard to argue that the team should stick with Darnold.

That argument becomes even harder when you realize they might have an opportunity to draft a truly generational quarterback prospect. Darnold was a great prospect, but Lawrence is on another level.

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Keep in mind that for as much as general manager Joe Douglas loves Darnold, he isn’t “his guy.” Douglas is here for the long haul — he signed a six-year contract back in June of 2019.

It would certainly make sense if he wanted to restart with a completely new coaching staff and a new young quarterback with the way things are currently going. He won’t hesitate to move on from Darnold if he sees an opportunity.

The Jets appear destined for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. They’ll have competition for sure, but it’s difficult to see the Jets being competitive in more than a couple of games this season, let alone actually pulling off victories.

Again, anything is possible. There are still 13 games to be played and it’s probable we see a midseason coaching change. Maybe the Jets turn things around. Maybe Darnold turns things around.

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But as the situation stands right now, there’s no chance the Jets would pass on Trevor Lawrence if they had the chance.

And given what we’ve seen this year, nor should they.

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