JACKSONVILLE – Trevor Lawrence stood behind a podium, smiling.
A difficult rookie year behind him and a key first full NFL offseason at hand, the second-year veteran spoke of how feels personally – and how he feels about what's around him.
New season. New regime. New start.
In this case, new is good.
"I really like the direction we're going," he said.
Lawrence, the Jaguars' starting quarterback and very much the face of the franchise, spoke to the media early Tuesday afternoon – the second day of the 2022 offseason program. He covered multiple topics, including a 3-14 rookie season and his thoughts on a new regime under new Head Coach Doug Pederson.
"The staff's been great," he said. "It's been really good."
Lawrence, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, also discussed moving forward from a difficult rookie season.
"I feel great," he said. "My body feels good, and I've had some time to recover from last year – physically, mentally, just everything. It's nice to be back in the building and see all the guys."
Lawrence, after never losing a regular-season game in high school or college, started 17 games in one of the most difficult NFL seasons in recent memory. The Jaguars finished 3-14 to earn the No. 1 overall selection in a second consecutive draft, with then-Head Coach Urban Meyer being dismissed after just 13 regular-season games in the position – and after a tenure defined by off-field issues.
Lawrence smiled when asked how long it took to purge the events of last season.
"A little bit," he said. "I didn't really dwell on it. Until I was like pumped up to go attack this thing again? A few weeks."
Lawrence, who threw for 12 touchdowns with 17 interceptions as a rookie, said he took three weeks completely off following a season-ending victory over the Indianapolis Colts on January 9. No film study. No weightlifting. No running. He said he worked slowly back after that.
This was in sharp contrast to his '21 offseason, when Lawrence underwent February surgery on his nonthrowing shoulder along with transitioning from Clemson University to the NFL.
"I didn't have much of [an offseason] last year, so it was kind of two years straight going from college and adjusting," he said. "Then you're just trying to figure everything out. Even in the OTA (on-field offseason) phase, when you're coming in as a rookie you don't know what's going on so you're trying to figure out the schedule. It's kind of crazy.
"Now, having done it before – as we start learning this playbook – it's nice having that experience from last year."
Lawrence said he spent a week and a half early in the offseason working with 3DQB in Huntington Beach, Calif., and focusing on mechanics. He has worked in Jacksonville since with a personal strength/nutrition-based coach, focusing on strength and flexibility.
"I just wanted to feel better with my arm, not use as much arm, and get everything synced up," he said. "I think that helped a lot, just drilling those things. I feel great, so I'm excited."
Lawrence, after a strong midseason stretch of three games with a passer rating of at least 92, struggled for much of the next two months before finishing with ratings of more than 87 in his final two games. The best game of his rookie season was the season finale against the Colts with two touchdowns and no interceptions, the momentum from which he said was important entering the offseason.
"After the challenges we had, being able to finish on a high note was big," he said. "It's a good feeling when you go out with a win. For the guys who are back, that confidence moving forward is important. Obviously, there were a lot of distractions and a lot of things going on that made it difficult."
Added Lawrence, "I don't like to dwell on the past. Obviously, I like to learn from it. I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. You just have to figure out what that is and build on it and look at the positive. We're in a good spot.
"Guys know we can do it. We just have to put it all together. We're off to a good start."
