Jacksonville Jaguars have 23rd best offensive line according to Pro Football Focus
By Daniel Lago
After making some big additions on defense, questions still linger for the Jacksonville Jaguars on the offensive side of the ball.
When David Caldwell took charge in 2013, he made Luke Joeckel his first draft pick ever with the hope he would eventually take over at left tackle and man the position for the next decade-plus. After his rookie season was cut short, Joeckel came back as the starter in 2014 and understably struggled a bit. Entering the 2015 season, expectations were high for Joeckel and quite frankly he was a disappointment. So much so that the team went out and signed former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Kelvin Beachum to challenge Joeckel.
Left tackle isn’t the only offensive line spot up for grabs, as left guard is still unsettled as we head towards training camp. It’s fair to say the offensive line is one of the biggest question marks for the Jaguars heading into 2016.
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Still,
Pro Football Focus thinks the group is talented enough to be ranked 23rd overall:
"23. Jacksonville JaguarsProjected starters: LT Kelvin Beachum, LG Mackenzy Bernadeau, C Brandon Linder, RG A.J. Cann, RT Jermey ParnellRoster depth: Luke Joeckel, Jeff Linkenbach, Luke BowankoKey stat: The Jaguars used only four different offensive-line combinations in 2015, second-fewest in the league.Offensive line was the weak point of the Jaguars’ offense in 2015, and that will likely hold true again in 2016. There is some reason to believe it could improve going forward, though; Brandon Linder missed most of the 2015 season, but in 2014 as a rookie, he was among the highest-graded guards in the league. Kelvin Beachum was a free-agent addition from Pittsburgh who also missed 2015, but at his best, can be among the top left tackles in football."
At this point, I expect Beachum to win the left tackle competition but left guard is still a bit of a mystery. Some think Joeckel will end up at the guard spot, but it seems like a strange fit for a player who’s built more to play on the outside. Still, if the idea is to have your 5 best guys out there then it might be best to just throw Joeckel out there.
The depth is still a bit of a concern, especially with Bowanko’s injury sidelining him for the time being. All in all, 23rd is a fair spot for this group considering how much trouble they had protecting Bortles in 2015 and more so in 2014. I expect some improvement in terms of pass protection in 2016.