Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is a long-shot MVP candidate as a rookie

The Jacksonville Jaguars landed a generational quarterback prospect in 2021. Here’s why Trevor Lawrence is a long-shot MVP candidate as a rookie. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars were a sinking ship in 2020. After winning their first game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville went on to lose 15 straight games to close out the season with a 1-15 record.

While their defense wasn’t exactly contributing to success last season, their offense was equally as pitiful. Led by a collection of Gardner Minshew, Mike Glennon, and Jake Luton, the Jaguars ranked 30th in points per game (19.1) and 27th in total yards per game (326.1), according to Team Rankings.

Going into the season, we knew that this was a team that was going to be doomed from the start. In today’s NFL, it’s nearly impossible to win without a competent quarterback – even if a team has a great supporting cast around an average passer.

While Jags fans had to struggle through an embarrassing year of football, the reward may payout in the end. Jacksonville was able to land Trevor Lawrence with the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lawrence isn’t your run-of-the-mill quarterback prospect and many consider him to be the single-best player to enter the draft since Andrew Luck in 2012. Lawrence is talented enough to help turn things around in a hurry. In fact, you may be surprised to find that the rookie has some pretty decent odds to earn MVP honors in his first-ever NFL season.

Jaguars rookie has respectable MVP odds as a rookie

As of Tuesday evening, Trevor Lawrence is tied for the 22nd-best odds to become the Most Valuable Player in the NFL in 2021 at +7500, courtesy of WynnBET. While this may not seem very high for the number one overall pick, consider some of the players that are below him in MVP odds.

Currently, Trevor Lawrence is tied with players like Dalvin Cook, Derek Carr, and Jimmy Garoppolo in MVP odds and ranks ahead of players like Ben Roethlisberger, Davante Adams, and Nick Chubb. These odds could certainly change as the season progresses, and I would bet that Lawrence will climb higher on this list.

Though the team performed poorly on offense in 2020, much of that was due to the sub-par quarterback play. The reality is that Lawrence is stepping into a decent situation. The Jaguars have invested heavily into their offensive line over the past few years, and have fixed many of their holes.

In addition, the team suddenly has a number of young, quality weapons on offense that could help out their young quarterback. Trevor Lawrence has a trio of capable receivers in Laviska Shenault, DJ Chark, and Marvin Jones. He also has a capable running back in James Robinson and a first-round offensive weapon in Travis Etienne.

The reality is that any rookie quarterback – even one as special as Trevor Lawrence – is going to be a long shot to win MVP in his first season. However, if you feel really confident, now might be the time to get in on these odds. For more betting insight, please visit BetSided.com.