Pundits Downplaying Trevor Lawrence Plays Directly Into Patriots' Hands

Even though we're nearly a year away from the next NFL draft, analysts are already talking about the upcoming class, which includes Clemson's star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. However, he's being totally downplayed right now, and that should be music to Bill Belichick's ears.

The New England Patriots are going to have a strange 2020 season without quarterback Tom Brady, who was with the team since he was drafted in 2000. Jarrett Stidham will presumably fill the lead role for the squad, but we aren't super excited about what he's going to bring to the table. If the Patriots have a down year, they should be looking for their next franchise guy early in the first round next season.

The Patriots definitely won't be the worst team in football this year, because they have enough pieces without Brady to come out with at least a winning record. However, if public and media opinions can infiltrate the front offices when the 2021 draft rolls around, Lawrence might just fall far enough for the Patriots to snatch him up and start another dynasty.

Even if Lawrence isn't truly "generational", he's still going to be an excellent NFL quarterback — certainly better than anything the Patriots, or most teams, have right now. He threw for more than 3,600 yards last season and had 45 total touchdowns, leading Clemson to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

If we don't want to see another decade of never-ending Patriots dominance, everyone needs to start talking about how good Lawrence really is. The perfect prospect doesn't exist, and Lawrence is about as close as you can get. It's time for another team to get a shot at a franchise star.