4 biggest mistakes the Jaguars made this offseason

Now that the 2022 NFL Draft is over, the Jacksonville Jaguars can turn their focus to

preparing for the regular season

and evaluating their current collection of talent. They might still make a few moves and bring in a few players in the upcoming months but they’ve already done the bulk of the work in free agency and the draft.

All things considered, the Jags have had a good offseason but it hasn’t been without a hitch. They’ve made some mistakes, including the next four.

No. 1 offseason mistake the Jaguars made – Not adding a left guard.

The Jaguars did a good job of fortifying their offensive line this offseason, signing right guard Brandon Scherff in free agency and drafting Kentucky center Luke Fortner in the draft. Moreover, they brought back left tackle Cam Robinson and Tyler Shatley, who will take over at center after Brandon Linder retired.

Fortner will most likely compete with Shatley for the starting job and whoever losses will be the primary backup in the interior. Meanwhile, Ben Bartch will tentatively start at left guard after Andrew Norwell left Jacksonville in free agency. A fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft, Bartch has appeared in 28 games with 12 starts (11 of them in 2021) over the last two seasons.

The former St. John Johnny has shown allowed three sacks and 24 pressures in 460 pass-blocking snaps last year and he might get better with more playing time. However, the Jaguars’ brass should have added insurance in free agency or the draft in case Bartch struggles. Heading into the 2022 season, left guard might be the weakest link in Jacksonville’s offensive line.