22. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars dropped to 4-3 with a blowout loss in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams, and the Jags now see the Indianapolis Colts open up a two-game lead in the AFC South.
The Jags, thus far, have been a pretty fun team. The defense has largely been very good, and the run game has come alive at times. However, we are left asking ourselves about Trevor Lawrence most weeks at this point.
Besides a modest breakout season in 2022 and a playoff appearance, Lawrence really hasn’t amounted to much. He feels like one of the more average and almost irrelevant QBs in the NFL thus far. Still in a decent position, the Jags could figure things out more on offense as the season goes on, but their QB absolutely has to play better football.
21. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Now 4-3 on the season, the Carolina Panthers might actually be turning into a half-decent team. Bryce Young is clearly playing the best football of his career, as he’s now thrown 11 touchdowns against four interceptions and is completing a career-high 61.6% of his passes. Young left the Panthers’ Week 7 win over the New York Jets with an injury, but he still largely played decent football.
The Panthers are hanging around approaching the midseason, and with Young progressing and continuing to stack solid days, this team could be something late in the season. The Bryce Young era hasn’t been all that special, overall, though.
Many wondered if the Panthers were actually sold on taking Young with the first overall pick back in the 2023 NFL Draft, as CJ Stroud did seem to be the better QB. However, Young is improving and is 21st in our power rankings. Can the Panthers continue this surge?