The Jacksonville Jaguars came out of the 2021 NFL Draft with a pretty promising haul, but they weren't as successful the following year. While defensive end Travon Walker has been consistent and is in a position to break out next season, the rest of the Jags' draft class has left a bit to be desired.
Sure, linebacker Devin Lloyd has been solid against the run, and cornerback Montaric Brown could have a banner year in 2025. But aside from those two and Walker, Jacksonville hasn't gotten steady production from the rest of their 2022 batch.
The Jaguars already moved on from running back Snoop Conner (Round 5) and cornerback Gregory Junior (Round 6). A couple more 2022 draft picks are hanging by a thread ahead of cutdown day, and it may be a matter of time before they get the boot.
The first is Chad Muma, a third-round selection who's come up short whenever he's pressed into the starting lineup. After the arrival of rookies Jack Kiser and Jalen McLean and veteran Dennis Gardick, the former Wyoming Cowboy could be the victim of the numbers game.
But as underwhelming as Muma has been, he hasn't been nearly as disappointing as fellow 2022 draftee Luke Fortner has been.
Related: Pre-training camp AFC South quarterback rankings: Where does Trevor Lawrence stand?
The Jaguars may cut ties with Luke Fortner sooner rather than later
When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Luke Forter with a third-round selection in 2022, they thought they had found the heir apparent for Brandon Linder, who had hung up the cleats just a few months prior. And for a brief moment, it looked like they did.
Fortner had some rough stretches as a rookie, but also showed promise. For that reason, he was expected to make strides the following year. Unfortunately, the former Kentucky Wildcat regressed so badly in 2023 that the team's brass brougth in veteran Mitch Morse the following year to compete with him.
Morse ended up seizing the starting job, and Fortner was relegated to the sidelines. But after just one season in Jacksonville, Morse also retired. If the Jags believed in Fortner, they wouldn't have given Robert Hainsey a three-year deal in free agency, but that's what they did. But wait, there's more.
After adding Hainsey, Jacksonville selected Jonah Monheim in Round 7 of the 2025 draft. While the rookie center will need to deal with a learning curve, he has enough upside to make you think that he could move ahead of Fortner on the depth chart.
Sure, you could make the case that expecting a Day 3 selection to get ahead of an experienced veteran such as Fortner may be unreasonable. But if the new regime has proven something the past few months is that it's not afraid to move on from players who have underachieved, regardless of their cap hits or salaries.
This isn't great news for Luke Fortner, who may not make the 53-man roster in 2025. And if that's the way things play out, what once looked like a promising draft pick will have become a flop.
![Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen watches drills during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen watches drills during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_3815,h_2145/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01k0aqykr1b5jpe5psn0.jpg)