The Jacksonville Jaguars made another move to shore up a battered offensive line Saturday morning, signing veteran lineman Geron Christian and sending rookie Garrett DiGiorgio to the Reserve/Injured list, which ends DiGiorgio’s first season.
It was the fourth veteran addition the Jaguars have made since training camp opened last week, and the message behind this one is pretty clear: they need bodies up front. Christian isn’t walking in to take first-team reps with Trevor Lawrence, but he does give Jacksonville needed depth at a position group that has been running thin.
That shortage showed up again after Friday’s scrimmage. The Jaguars had already been dealing with several offensive line injuries before Thursday, and more linemen exited that scrimmage.
By Saturday morning, they had two of those injured players back for the 45-minute walkthrough - veteran lineman Chuma Edoga and rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon - but they were still without veteran left tackle Cole Van Lanen and right guard Patrick Mekari. Mekari was at least on the field to watch.
One absence stood out even more: Walker Little did not participate in the walkthrough. That’s a name to monitor heading into Sunday’s padded practice, especially with the Jaguars now shifting DiGiorgio to injured reserve instead of keeping his roster spot on the Active/PUP list.
If Little is out for any length of time, Jacksonville could be in a tight spot depending on how long Van Lanen and Mekari are sidelined. Without those three veterans, the offensive line would line up, from left to right, as Anton Harrison, Ezra Cleveland, Robert Hainsey, Jonah Monheim, and Wyatt Milum. That would look a lot different from the projected Week 1 group, and it would put a spotlight on tackle depth in particular.
That’s where Christian fits in. Of his 25 career starts, 24 have come at left tackle, which makes him a logical piece to bring in while the Jaguars sort through the injuries.
The team has spent the last two years cross-training linemen to handle multiple spots, and that flexibility is starting to matter. Milum has played guard before and has been getting tackle reps lately.
Monheim worked at center last year but has stepped in at right guard. Harrison has seen time at both tackle spots.
Pregnon has worked at both guard positions. Little, too, has experience at left tackle, right guard, and right tackle.
“I think everyone who comes in and out has done a great job. Everyone's getting better, everyone's improving, everyone's working together, and it's been super helpful for all these guys to get all the reps, because you never know when you're going to need them,” Jaguars center Robert Hainsey said on Saturday after practice.
“You never know when you’re going to need to lean on that experience so it's a great opportunity for all the guys that have come in to get those live reps next to different guys, myself included. Whenever we figure out how things are going to shake out, then I've had reps with everyone that could be there, so that's helpful.”
Christian’s arrival doesn’t signal panic, but it does show the Jaguars are already working to patch together a line that has taken some early hits in camp. Whether it turns into a bigger Week 1 issue is still to be determined.
In Other News...
Jaguars Scrimmage Just Made Two Roster Fights A Lot More Serious
Two weeks into training camp, the Jaguars have gotten enough work in to start separating the crowded jobs from the truly unsettled ones, and the recent scrimmage put a few of those competitions under the microscope. The strong side linebacker battle between Jalen McLeod and Yasir Abdullah has been one of the more watchable fights so far, while the running back group is still in the mix as the roster begins to take shape.
Up front, the offensive line picture is becoming just as important because of the health concerns around Cole Van Lanen, Patrick Mekari and Walker Little. Those injuries are forcing the Jaguars to think carefully about depth and how they want to line up the rest of camp, especially with so much still in flux on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Offensive Line Battle Is Starting To Feel Very Real
Training camp has already turned the Jaguars offensive line into one of the clearest competitions on the roster, with Jacksonville testing out a range of combinations to see what sticks. Anton Harrison, Walker Little, Wyatt Milum, Chuma Edoga and Emmanuel Pregnon have all been moved around as the staff looks for the best five and tries to keep everyone ready for a long season.
The approach is about more than just sorting out a starting group. The Jaguars want real competition across the line, and they also want insurance if injuries force them to reshuffle at some point. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen has already spoken positively about Harrisons work, but the bigger picture is still taking shape as the team keeps cross-training players at multiple spots. [Read more 🡒]