On Monday, ESPN published a ranking of the NFL’s top 10 quarterbacks for the 2023 season (subscription required).
ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help them come up with the ranking, with the voters giving ESPN their top 10 players at the quarterback position. ESPN then rounded up the results and ranked players based on the number of top-10 votes they received and composite average along with a slew of interviews, research and film-study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen.
With all that said, former Clemson and current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence checked in at No. 8 in ESPN’s ranking of the top 10 quarterbacks for 2023.
Lawrence is coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, when the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick had a 66.3 percent completion percentage, 4,113 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions while leading the Jaguars to the AFC South title and a playoff victory in his second NFL season.
After throwing for only 10 touchdowns with six interceptions over the first eight games of the 2022 regular season – including a two-interception performance against the Denver Broncos in London in Week 8 – Lawrence passed for 15 touchdowns with only two picks over the final nine games of the regular season.
Here’s what ESPN’s article, authored by staff writer Jeremy Fowler, had to say about Lawrence with feedback from a coordinator and offensive coach:
“He looked like the player that was promised in the [2021] draft,” an NFL coordinator said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a top-five passer at the same time next year.”
Lawrence ranked third in completions of longer than 20 yards (55) and posted a 78.6 QBR against the blitz, ranking sixth.
A second year with coach Doug Pederson — who can work Calvin Ridley into the mix — should quell any reservations about Lawrence’s growth in Year 3, one AFC exec said.
“The only knock on him is he takes too many risks — like, Did you really need to try to squeeze that in there?” a veteran NFL offensive coach said. “But I’d rather that than someone who doesn’t play with that confidence.”
Meanwhile, former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson missed the top 10 of ESPN’s quarterback ranking for 2023. However, the Cleveland Browns star is the first name that appears under the honorable mentions.
Watson heads into his first full season with the Browns after being traded from the Houston Texans in March 2022, and then getting a fully guaranteed five-year contract worth $230 million. The three-time Pro Bowler made his long-awaited return to the field last December after sitting out the entire 2021 season and then serving an 11-game suspension to begin 2022 for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Across six games with the Browns, Watson completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,102 yards and seven touchdown passes with five interceptions.
Here’s what a couple of NFL coaches had to say about Watson in the ESPN article:
“Keeping him out of the top 10 feels wrong,” an NFL quarterbacks coach said. “He’s too good. But putting him in the top 10 also feels wrong based on the play last year and the lack of play the last two seasons.”
Some have questioned whether coach Kevin Stefanski’s run-heavy system — with schemed play-action, multiple tight ends and reduced sets — is a good fit for Watson, a high-level pocket thrower.
Others say he is too gifted to be constrained by a scheme. And also, Stefanski can make attempts to tweak his offense.
“I saw improvement over those last two games, and I think he’ll be fine in that system,” an NFC offensive coach said. “He’s still, to me, when he’s right, a top-five passer. He needs time on task.”
We are excited to announce our second annual Dear Old Clemson event for the freshmen football class. Come out on July 22 at 10 AM at the indoor football facility for a meet and greet autograph session with the scholarship freshmen from the 2023 class. Clemson coordinators Garrett Riley and Wes Goodwin will be attendance and speak at the event.
Get your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.
