Jaguars RG Brandon Scherff name top 3 IOL by NFL peers

The Jacksonville Jaguars earned plenty of criticism for giving wide receiver Christian Kirk a top-market deal. On the other hand, nobody batted an eye when they signed right guard Brandon Scherff to a three-year, $49.5 million contract. And based on a recent poll, the Jags are getting a bang for their buck.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN recently interviewed executives, players, and coaches around the league to find out who the best interior offensive linemen are and Scherff finished third in the survey, behind Quenton Nelson (Indianapolis Colts), and Zach Martin (Dallas Cowboys). Fowler says that the former Iowa Hawkey is elite “when healthy and available” and points out that he led all the guards with a 76.7 percent run block win rate last year. Here’s one NFC coordinator praising Scherff for his ability to make a difference in both the running game and pass-blocking situations:

"“Very quick off the ball to engage and stay locked into defenders… In pass protection, [he] has strength to stop power rushers at the line of scrimmage. that’s a good trait [versus] big defensive tackles. Good puller, too”"

Scherff has previously earned the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s ranking. He has never finished outside the top 10 and the lowest he’s been ranked is ninth. You could make the case that the only negative surrounding Scherff is his availability or lack thereof, as he’s missed 25 games over the last five seasons. Then again, the Jaguars knew this when they signed and they probably expect him to sit out a few games.

OG Brandon Scherff will solidify the Jaguars offensive line in 2022

The Jaguars haven’t had a player make the Pro Bowl since 2019 but Scherff could buck the trend in 2022. He’s gotten the nod five times in the last six seasons and the one year he didn’t make it (2018), it was because he suffered a pectoral injury that forced him to miss eight games.

Scherff is set to line up at right guard while Walker Little and Jawaan Taylor will compete for the job at right tackle. If Little wins the battle, Jacksonville’s right side of the offensive line will have two new starters in 2022.

Despite the fact that the Jaguars’ offensive line hasn’t earned favorable rankings throughout the offseason, the group has potential. Left tackle Cam Robinson should keep getting better after having a career year. Tyler Shatley should also be able to hold his own at center and the same is true for Ben Bartch, who is slated to start at left guard.

One of the Jaguars’ biggest priorities this offseason was making sure Trevor Lawrence has optimal protection upfront and signing Scherff should make it possible. If fact, they deserve credit for landing one of the top guards in the NFL.