Jaguars OG Brandon Scherff pops up on illustrious list of players

NFL guards don’t get the same kind of spotlight that quarterbacks enjoy. Heck, even left tackles get more recognition. But this didn’t deter the Jacksonville Jaguars from giving five-time Pro Bowl selection Brandon Scherff a blockbuster deal in free agency. Looking at his production and his spot in a recent ranking, it’s easy to see why the Jags had no trouble paying a premium for his services.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the best offensive guard in the NFL and Scherff landed at the top of the ‘Very Good’ tier. Monson points out that the 2020 First-Team All-Pro nod has never had a bad season, giving up a combined 11 sacks over the last seven seasons.

"Washington drafted Brandon Scherff with the fifth overall pick in 2015, higher even than Quenton Nelson’s draft slot, before he became a mainstay at guard with the team. He got a big-money free agent move to Jacksonville this offseason after never enduring a bad season in the NFL. Inn seven years at this level, his lowest overall PFF grade is 73.6 and he has surrendered just 11 sacks combined."

Zach Martin (Dallas Cowboys) Quenton Nelson (Indianapolis Colts) and Joel Bitonio (Cleveland Browns) were the top offensive guards in Monson’s ranking. Other guards that popped up in the same tier as Scherfff were Joe Thuney (Kansas City Chiefs) Laken Tomlinson (New York Jets), and Kevin Zeitler (Baltimore Ravens).

The Jaguars have an absolute mauler in Brandon Scherff.

The Jaguars made several splash signings in free agency but Brandon Scherff was arguably the biggest. If the Pro Bowl guard plays the way he did for the Washington Commanders, the Jags’ offensive line will get a significant boost. While Jacksonville didn’t make many upgrades to their offensive line this offseason, there’s no doubt Scherff will give the unit a boost.

As Monson pointed out, Scherff hasn’t had a bad season throughout his NFL career. In fact, his biggest knock is probably that he hasn’t played a full season since 2016 and has missed 22 games over the last four seasons but if he manages to stay healthy or sit just a couple of games, he will ensure the Jaguars’ interior offensive line performs at an optimal level.

The Jags knew they needed to build around Trevor Lawrence this offseason and they weren’t afraid to spend big money to ensure they landed the best offensive guard in free agency. Scherff will make sure he stays protected, even if he doesn’t get the same amount of recognition.