4 players the Jaguars cannot afford to lose to injury in 2022

No. 1 player the Jaguars can’t afford to lose to injury: Brandon Scherff

Observers around the NFL think that the Jaguars overpaid for Christian Kirk. On the other hand, nobody batted an eye when they gave right guard Brandon Scherff a three-year deal worth $49.5 million in free agency. The reason is simple, Kirk hasn’t topped 1,000 receiving yards in a season while Scherff has made multiple Pro Bowls since the Washington Commanders made him the fifth overall selection in the 2015 draft.

Scherff was one of the most coveted players in free agency, and if the Jags hadn’t landed him, there were many teams that would have been willing to sign him. After all, he’s never posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade lower than 72.5 in his career and has allowed only 11 sacks since 2015. There are offensive linemen that have given up that amount in just one year.

One thing to keep in mind is that Scherff hasn’t played a full season since 2016 and he’s missed 25 games over the last five years, so the Jaguars’ should expect him to sit out two to four this upcoming season. However, anything more than that would be a cause for concern.

If Scherff does need to miss an extended period of time, rookie Luke Forter or veteran Tyler Shatley will take his spot in the lineup. Forter is unproven and Shatley, who has previously started at guard, would have no trouble holding the fort. Nevertheless, the dropoff would be considerable.