Brandon Scherff retirement a reminder Jaguars have major questions at right guard

A new regime took over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason and proceeded to move on from several prominent players, including former offensive staples Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. Right guard Brandon Scherff also left, but his departure didn't generate nearly as much attention.

That was perhaps due to the fact that, unlike Kirk or Engram, Scherff wasn't cut or traded. Instead, he became a free agent. Then months passed, and the veteran guard remained unsigned, which might've played a role in his decision to hang up the cleats. Meanwhile, the Jags are trying to replace him with Patrick Mekari and Chuma Edoga.

The Scherff retirement news is a reminder that right guard remains a work in progress.

Related: The worst-case scenario for Jaguars is nightmare fuel for Trevor Lawrence

Brandon Scherff was the model of consistency with the Jaguars

When the Jaguars signed Brandon Scherff in 2022, no one was more relieved than franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. His presence that season was massive for the Clemson product, who easily had his best season as an NFL quarterback, making the Pro Bowl, leading the Jaguars to the playoffs, and an AFC South title.

It was clear in 2022 that for Lawrence to live up to expectations, he’d need solid pass protection, and Scherff was the best person on the offensive line to provide that. In his 10 NFL seasons, the native of Denison, Iowa, made it to five Pro Bowls and was named a First-team All-Pro in 2020 with Washington.

Scherff was not only a solid and consistent performer, but he played through injuries most of his time in Jacksonville, starting all 53 possible games, 51 in the regular season.

Lawrence isn’t the only one who could suffer with Scherff’s retirement, but the running game as well, arguably the most intriguing offensive battle in preseason for this team, alongside who will fill Scherff’s shoes.

What have the Jaguars done since Brandon Scherff left?

James Gladstone made it a point to get a new look offensive line, adding Chuma Edoga and Patrick Mekari, among others, with Walker Little, Luke Fortner, and Ezra Cleveland already on the roster.

In 2024, the Jags offensive line actually allowed the sixth-fewest sacks per game (1.9) in the NFL, something one might not have known given the kind of punishment Trevor Lawrence took. On the other hand, the group routinely got pushed around at the line of scrimmage and couldn't routinely open lanes in the running game.

In their preseason opener, there were mixed reviews as they didn’t give up any big hits, nor were the Jaguars pivots under duress. On the other hand, they were flagged twice for false starts.

Shaun Sarrett knew he had a big job when he took charge minus Scherff: to turn an offense that, according to most NFL rankings, is overall mediocre or middle of the pack at best into a strong and stable one.

Patrick Mekari has big shoes to fill

To replace Brandon Scherff, the Jaguars have leaned on two players: Patrick Mekari and Chuma Edoga.

Mekari signed a three-year contract in March for $37.5 million. Given the size of his contract, he's expected to start. Since starting 12 games for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021, the 28-year-old has seen a lot of game action, but hasn’t started more than seven games in a single season. He had a solid resume last season, with a 71.5 pass blocking grade.

On one hand, he knows the pressure of having to protect a valuable commodity, doing so for Lamar Jackson. At the same time, Jackson knows how to evade pressure better than most QBs, so ensuring Lawrence has adequate time to make the right decisions will make it more difficult.

Although Lawrence can run the ball, he’s not as strong throwing the ball in that position and doesn’t have the improvisational brilliance of Jackson. In 2024, the former two-time NFL MVP was sacked a mere 23 times.

So far, Mekari's main issue is that he wasn't available for a good chunk of training camp and the first preseason game. The good news is that he's back in practice, and Edoga filled in for him and has looked good along the way.

This isn't surprising when you take into account that Edoga has experience stepping in for some outstanding pass blockers, doing so with the Dallas Cowboys over the previous couple of seasons, filling in for Tyler Smith and Tyron Smith when they went down with injuries.

The former third-round selection of the New York Jets in 2019 has struggled to find a permanent home, signing a two-year deal in Duval back in March worth $7 million. Mekari's injury gave him an opportunity to show what he’s made of.

He learned under two former All-Pro linemen in Dallas, and now we will see if he can apply all that knowledge when it matters most on the field.

Edoga and Mekari have played with strong offensive lines in the past, and now they have a chance to prove themselves on a team that needs to be strong in both pass and run blocking. How well those two fare could determine whether or not the Jaguars’ offense is successful in 2025.

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