Patrick Mekari enters training camp with a real fight on his hands at right guard.
The Jaguars signed him in 2025 to a three-year, $37.5 million deal, and he stepped right into the starting role last season. But the year didn’t go cleanly. Mekari missed three games because of injury, and when he was on the field, the results swung from solid to shaky.
The numbers tell the story. He was penalized nine times for 65 yards, finished 63rd out of 83 eligible guards in PFF’s run-blocking, and allowed 34 pressures, which was the 12th most at the position. He also gave up two sacks and ranked tied for 58th in pass-blocking.
That leaves him in a battle to keep the job. Sophomore Wyatt Milum is the main challenger, and both players are coming off healthy offseasons. Training camp will matter here, because Milum was more efficient in a smaller sample last season and Mekari can’t lean only on experience to stay in front.
Still, Mekari does have a slight edge. His versatility matters, and so does the fact that he’s been through more NFL battles than Milum. The question now is whether that’s enough to hold off a younger player pushing hard for the spot.
Mekari’s path to Jacksonville has always been about earning it. He originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft, made the final 53-man roster after a strong camp, and carved out early starts in his career. Now he’s trying to do it again, this time with the Jaguars.
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Jaguars Camp Could Settle One Uncomfortable QB Question Fast
Training camp is about to put every Jaguars position group under a microscope, and the quarterback room should be one of the first places where the competition gets sorted out. Trevor Lawrence is firmly at the top, Nick Mullens is expected to stay in the backup role because of his experience, and the real pressure point sits further down the depth chart, where Carter Bradley has to show he belongs in the mix.
Bradley already gave the Jaguars a reason to notice him last season, when his work running the scout team offense drew praise from Anthony Campanile. Now he is trying to turn that kind of behind-the-scenes value into something more permanent, while a rookie with a different kind of appeal is waiting for his chance to make the decision harder than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars O-Line Debate Starts With Wyatt Milums Push For More
Wyatt Milums rookie year in Jacksonville never got off to a full-speed start, with the third-round pick missing the first month because of a knee injury before finally making his debut in Week 6. Once he got on the field, though, he showed enough in limited snaps to give the Jaguars another young offensive lineman worth tracking, especially after the club spent a 2025 draft pick on him with the idea that he could grow into a bigger role.
Now the conversation turns to where that role begins. Milum is in line to battle veteran Patrick Mekari for the right guard job next season, and while the competition is expected to be open, experience gives Mekari a built-in case to open the year in front. Milums value goes beyond one spot, too, which only adds to the intrigue as Jacksonville sorts out how quickly the rookie can push his way into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Safety Picture Looks Nearly Set But One Camp Battle Still Lingers
The safety group in Jacksonville looks close to settled as training camp approaches, with Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson projected to open as the starters. Behind them, the roster picture points toward a fairly clear pecking order, and the Jaguars appear positioned to carry five safeties on the 53-man roster if things stay on script.
Caleb Ransaw, Jalen Huskey and Rayuan Lane look like the main depth pieces in that mix, giving the Jaguars some continuity at a spot that usually sorts itself out quickly once camp gets rolling. The one wrinkle is whether anyone from the back end can force the team to think bigger, because keeping an extra safety would require a real rise from someone lower on the chart. [Read more 🡒]