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3 NFL Teams That Should Tank to Draft Trevor Lawrence in 2021

By Mike Esposito

Trevor Lawrence winds up to pass against Ohio State in the CFP Semifinal in the Fiesta Bowl .
Trevor Lawrence winds up to pass against Ohio State in the CFP Semifinal in the Fiesta Bowl . / Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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He may still be a year a way from being draft-eligible, but Clemson Tigers' star quarterback Trevor Lawrence is widely regarded in the scouting community as the next great NFL quarterback — if he continues to develop on his current trajectory.

There are a few teams in the NFL that have interesting quarterback situations on their hands and could greatly benefit from a single down year in order to draft Lawrence the following spring.

With that in mind, here are three NFL teams that should consider tanking the 2020 season in order to draft Trevor Lawrence.

3. Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton prepares for another play in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cam Newton prepares for another play in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. / Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

If season-long rumors hold true, there's a chance that franchise icon Cam Newton is traded this offseason and as the season progressed, it became clear that neither Kyle Allen nor Will Grier will be Carolina's answer at quarterback in a post-Newton world. That being said, the Panthers may want to consider tanking through 2020 for a chance to draft Lawrence. The Clemson product should be an immediate upgrade at quarterback and he would form an excellent backfield duo with Christian McCaffrey.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jameis Winston prepares for another play in a game against the Tennessee Titans.
Jameis Winston prepares for another play in a game against the Tennessee Titans. / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Buccaneers have tons of weapons in place for a championship offense except for one crucial piece: a reliable quarterback. It's true that Jameis Winston set career-high marks in touchdowns (33) and passing yards (5,109) this season, but he also threw an unprecedented 30 interceptions in 2019. Despite his turnover-happy tendencies, the Bucs will likely bring Winston back for one more year to see if he can clean things up in year two under Bruce Arians. However, if Tampa sees more of the same out of the 2015 No. 1 overall pick in 2020, they might be better off tanking the season for a shot at drafting Lawrence in the spring.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger adjusts his helmet before a play in a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Ben Roethlisberger adjusts his helmet before a play in a game against the Seattle Seahawks. / Justin Berl/Getty Images

Quarterback has been the steadiest position on the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster, but that may not be the case anymore. Franchise signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger missed 14 games in 2019 due to an elbow injury and at 37-years-old, there's plenty of mystery surrounding his future.If Big Ben retires or struggles when he returns next season, Pittsburgh may want to consider tanking for a shot at a future franchise arm in Lawrence. With a championship defense already in place and respectable playmakers on offense, the Steelers could be pushing back for the playoff hunt in 2021 if they're able to draft the Clemson signal-caller.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.