Jaguars coach Urban Meyer: Drafting Trevor Lawrence is 'direction we're headed'
It's almost a forgone conclusion at this point that the Jaguars are selecting quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer had no problem revealing the team's thinking to NBC Sports' Peter King.
“Uh,'' Meyer said. ''I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed.''
Meyer attended Lawrence's pro day on Feb. 12 at Clemson and skipped attending BYU quarterback Zach Wilson's pro day last week, though Jaguars offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell did attend.
“Trevor checks all the boxes, you know?” Meyer told King. “The number one common quality of every great player, not just quarterback, is a competitive maniac. He’s 34-2. Won a national title as a true freshman. Is a winner. I’ve seen him up close and in person compete. And then character. I see him and I witness with my players when the guys get drafted high, a lot of people get . . . They have influences in their life. Like, whether it be social media, whether it be other things that really don’t pertain to winning.
''What I’m really pleased with and I don’t want to say surprised, but him, his agent, his family, they’re focused on one thing. He wants to become the best version of himself for the National Football League, which is, well, it is somewhat refreshing."
MOCK DRAFT: How do 49ers' trade up to No. 3, free agency aftermath affect first round?
WINNERS, LOSERS: All the fallout from huge NFL draft trades
Meyer also revealed that if he's not successful in Jacksonville after his first two seasons, he won't take the same path as Nick Saban did when he coached the Miami Dolphins before deciding to take the Alabama job.
“What Coach Saban went through, I don’t know,” Meyer said. “That’s Coach Saban’s business. I’m not quite sure. At some point, I might talk to him about it . . . he’s a friend of mine and I got great respect for him. It is different. It’s completely different. My mind is set.''
Lawrence has declined the NFL's invitation to attend the draft in Cleveland on April 29-May 1, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Instead, Lawrence plans to watch the draft with family and friends at Clemson.
The NFL announced last week that it will host the draft in a live event near FirstEnergy Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Urban Meyer: Drafting Trevor Lawrence is direction Jaguars are headed
