(Reuters) – The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Clemson University quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio, as fans were welcomed back to the event a year after COVID-19 forced it to go a virtual format.
The 21-year-old Lawrence, who finished as runner-up in voting for the Heisman Trophy awarded to college football’s most outstanding player, was the consensus top pick for the struggling Jaguars, which went 1-and-15 last season.
The 6-foot, 6-inch (1.98-meters) quarterback heads into the league after a dazzling collegiate career in which he led the Clemson Tigers to three straight ACC championship titles and won the national championship his freshman year.
The outdoor event marked a slight return to normalcy for the NFL after last year’s virtual draft, as fans packed together to catch a glimpse of the next generation of NFL talent.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; editing by Christian Schmollinger)
