When Jaguars training camp opens in two weeks, there won’t be many starting spots up for grabs. Right guard might be one of the few that actually has some intrigue.
Patrick Mekari enters as the clear favorite. He was the Jaguars’ most expensive free agent a year ago and should open camp as the No. 1 right guard. But Wyatt Milum, now entering his second season, has enough versatility and enough momentum from the spring to at least make this worth watching.
The two linemen have a lot in common. Mekari has started at all five offensive line spots during his time in Baltimore, while Milum played left tackle at West Virginia.
Both are athletic blockers who lean on explosiveness and strength, and both can move around if the Jaguars need them to. Mekari played right guard for Jacksonville last season, while Milum logged snaps at right guard, left guard and even two at left tackle.
Still, this looks like Mekari’s job to lose. The veteran is expected to be the starter when camp begins, and Milum would have to take the spot away from him. Mekari dealt with injuries during the season and in training camp last year, but he could be a useful piece again if the Jaguars need him to be.
Milum’s path is a little different. He also had injury issues last season, and an injury in training camp cost him the first few weeks of the year.
He got some game action, but his rookie season was more of a redshirt year than a true launch point. A top-100 pick in 2025, Milum has the ability to move across the line, though guard looks like his best fit right now.
Health may end up being the biggest factor in this whole thing. Last summer, neither player was really available for long stretches, which helped lead to a lot of Chuma Edoga snaps at right guard. If both Mekari and Milum are healthy this July, the position should look a lot stronger than it did at this point a year ago.
Milum’s development has already caught the eye of Robert Hainsey. “I think Wyatt's done a great job this spring.
Same thing, playing offensive line as a rookie is very difficult. There's a lot going on.
The game happens close, it happens fast and it's way different than college. The players are better, things are faster and you have to get used to that," Jaguars center Robert Hainsey said during the offseason program.
"Wyatt did that early on and just kept getting better. So, this spring he's kind of come out and he is just so much more comfortable. So, it's been really fun to play next to at times and see him compete and see the way he's handling himself and his understanding of the game has improved a ton and I'm super proud of that.”
The bigger picture is simple: Jacksonville wants its run game to take a step forward under Liam Coen, and the offensive line will be a huge part of that. The backfield matters in the post-Travis Etienne era, but the line may matter even more once Week 1 arrives.
The Jaguars could roll out the same Week 1 group they used last season, though Mekari’s health would give that version a better chance to hold up. Or Milum could push his way into the lineup and give Jacksonville a look at the future at guard, whether that means now or in 2027.
There’s also a version of this where Mekari keeps the job, Ezra Cleveland stays at left guard, and the Jaguars continue evaluating both guard spots with Milum and 2026 third-rounder Emmanuel Pregnon. Either way, the answer should come soon enough.
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