Joe Schobert says Trevor Lawrence has a ‘once-in-a-generation arm’

It can be difficult to gauge the progress a rookie makes during minicamp, but when one of the leaders of the defense takes notice of Trevor Lawrence’s play, it’s worth paying attention to what he has to say.

Middle linebacker Joe Schobert, who Jacksonville added from Cleveland last offseason, is one of several veteran Jaguars players who has spoken positively about the talent the first overall pick has shown so far.

“Trevor’s got an arm — a once-in-a-generation arm — and if he can put it together upstairs mentally for the rookie season in the NFL, which is always, as a quarterback, the hardest thing to do, we’ll be very successful if we can get all that accomplished,” Schobert said during a radio interview with SiriusXM, according to quotes transcribed by CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin.

Lawrence’s talent is something that has never really been doubted. He was the No. 1 player in the country coming out of high school, was a three-year starter at Clemson (with whom he never lost a regular-season game that he started) and was heavily expected to be picked No. 1 in this class for years.

The biggest challenge for Lawrence will be adjusting to the speed and stylistic differences of the professional game, something that can be simulated in practice but only truly experienced in real action. However, Shobert said that Lawrence is showing a lot of confidence so far.

“I mean, as a rookie coming into the NFL, I know I definitely wasn’t that confident,” Schobert said. “I was looking up to my veterans, trying to soak up all the information, which he has been very respectful in asking questions. He comes in with a certain poise and a certain caliber, which I expect quarterbacks really should believe in themselves because they play in such a high-stress environment and they’re the ones who get critiqued and judged the most on the football field.

“I think if he’s able to mentally put everything together, like picking up a new playbook, understanding teams and going against different kinds of athletes on the defensive side of the ball, he can be an extremely good quarterback for the next 10, 15, 20 years for Jacksonville. It’s going to be exciting to see how he progresses because he has all the tools and all the talent.”