The Jaguars don’t have a ton of open jobs on the 53-man roster heading into training camp, but one of the few real fights worth watching sits on the offensive line.
A lot of the attention this offseason has gone to the running back competition between Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. and the linebacker battle between Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs. Still, the one that stands out most is the matchup between Patrick Mekari and Wyatt Milum.
That battle matters because it could be the clearest change Jacksonville makes up front from last season. Walker Little could open the year at left tackle if Cole Van Lanen is still working back from his knee injury, but that possibility feels more like a temporary adjustment than a major shakeup. Little opened Week 1 last season as the starting left tackle and has plenty of experience there already.
Right guard is where the real intrigue lives.
Robert Hainsey looks set at center, Anton Harrison should be locked in at right tackle, and Ezra Cleveland should probably be the favorite to start ahead of rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon. That leaves Mekari and Milum in the spotlight, with Milum offering the kind of size and explosiveness that could give the Jaguars something different at the position.
Mekari enters camp with the edge. He has the bigger contract and the more established résumé, but he also dealt with injuries and penalties. If Jacksonville has a spot where it can realistically push for more production than it got a year ago, right guard is the one.
The question is whether the Jaguars are willing to put Mekari under real pressure only one year after making him their most expensive free-agent signing. They’ve shown before that they’ll go with the player who earns it, even if that means moving aside veterans or more highly paid players for rookies and lesser-known options. Even so, it would be a quick turn if Mekari lost the job, especially since he can still slide to other spots on the line if needed.
Milum has his own issues to overcome. He was slowed by injuries as a rookie and didn’t see much action.
But he came into the offseason healthy, said he feels as strong as he ever has in the NFL, and brings the kind of upside that makes him easy to circle. As a former third-round pick out of West Virginia, he’s the high-ceiling swing in this competition.
So how does it all shake out? The battle is set, and the next few weeks should tell the story.
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