Who Should I Start? Nick Mullens or Trevor Lawrence

Thursday, August 15, 9:45 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens will start Saturday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. Despite a challenging 2023 season where he went 0-3 with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions as a starter, Mullens is now firmly positioned as the No. 2 quarterback. Following him on the depth chart is second-year pro Jaren Hall. Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed confidence in Mullens due to his solid grasp of the offense. Mullens is known for his high-risk, high-reward style and had notable success during his time with the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Vikings. Though he tends to turn the ball over, with 31 career interceptions in just 20 starts, he also boasts 34 touchdown passes. Last season, after Kirk Cousins' injury, Mullens had mixed results in five games (three starts), with a respectable 8.8 yards per attempt but eight interceptions. Mullens is a veteran with the potential to deliver strong performances, particularly if he maintains his solid rapport with star receiver Justin Jefferson.

Tuesday, January 28, 12:16 PM

At his introductory press conference on Monday as the Jacksonville Jaguars' new head coach, Liam Coen said that he plans on building around quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was the first overall pick back in 2021 out of Clemson. "How do we make Trevor Lawrence and this offense as dynamic and explosive as we can be? We've got to build it around him, we've got to make every part of this about improvement, and he will be a part of that process," Coen said. "He's earned that right. I cannot respect his toughness and mentality and work ethic more than I do already from afar. This will all be about Trevor." The 25-year-old so far has not lived up to his draft stock in four NFL seasons, and he played in a career-low 10 games in 2024 due to shoulder and concussion issues. Lawrence's fantasy stock has never been lower, but Coen's bright offensive mind should give him an opportunity to bounce back as a QB2 in 2025.