Former Clemson Tigers full-back Trevor Lawrence had good reason to keep his pro-day Friday, a month too early. Lawrence wanted to prove to NFL teams that he can handle himself well if things do not go according to plan.
“The original plan was to rehearse in California for two months, then come back on March 11 and hold a show and do it all, but life happens sometimes,” Lawrence told the ACC Network / ESPN2 following his 45-minute workout at Clemson on Friday. “I just have to adapt and show that I can adapt and adapt and still be willing to come here and give teams a chance to see me, it was important and important to me for my team to make sure that we make it happen.
“Obviously it was not necessarily the ideal situation and circumstances, but I think we did an excellent job of just manipulating and navigating that way.”
Lawrence increased his pro-day because he would undergo surgery to repair damage to the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder and wanted to be completely cleared before training camps opened in July. He throws about 40 passes – mostly from below – to receivers Cornell Powell, Charone Peake, Caleb Scott and Chris Finke at Clemson’s training center.
Lawrence said he expects to start shedding six to eight weeks after surgery and be completely cleansed after four to five months.
On Friday, Lawrence threw a variety of passes, including a couple of rolls, and ended up with a 65-yard deep throw on a broken game in which he scrambled before launching the ball. It garnered praise from ESPN airline staff as well as on social media. But ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay, who was at the training session, was more impressed with Lawrence’s work in the red zone.
“Get the ball out quickly and throw the ball high where the defender can’t fetch it,” McShay said on the broadcast. ‘I saw it consistently within the red zone today, just the ability to throw the ball high at the specific spot, the ball placement.
“Yes, the deep throws were great and the vertical throw is what everyone loves … But within the red zone you can learn a little about a quarter, in terms of how fast he takes it out and where he places the ball . “
There would be 31 people from 17 NFL teams attending the practice session, including three of the Jacksonville Jaguars: head coach Urban Meyer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The Jaguars have the best choice in the April 29 draft and Meyer gave up almost the entire training session with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney a few yards from Lawrence.
“Yeah, yeah. I saw him,” Lawrence said with a smile. “I saw a lot of guys coming through, but yeah, I saw him. Just waved at him very quickly. Can’t really communicate out there. But yeah, it was cool to see all the teams come out. It’s definitely “A cool thing to experience. I’m glad I still have to do it.”
Lawrence – who measured 6.5-5.58 and 213 pounds with 10-inch hands, 34.5-inch arms and a 78-inch wingspan – said he was most looking forward to a new offensive too. system to learn. than to adapt to life in the NFL. He said he enjoys the mental challenge of football, something every coach wants to hear.
“I think, of course, the game is a little bit different at the NFL level and what’s on your plate,” Lawrence said. ‘Just take this time, especially after surgery, to really prepare mentally while I can not physically, and once I can really physically, I will just grind and get ready. I’m just very excited for the challenge.
“I love learning. It’s one of my favorite parts of the game. It’s such a fun thing to learn a new system and put it all together. It’s a lot of fun, so I’m excited to do, but I think it’s the biggest thing is just mental, defensive recognition, playbook, all that stuff. ‘