Center wasn't a pressing need for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason. At least it wasn't until Mitch Morse suddenly announced that he was going to hang up the cleats just before free agency started. Fortunately, the team's brass quickly got to work and signed Robert Hainsey. The Jags then added further reinforcements when they used a seventh-round pick on Jonah Monheim. It's fair to say that they did a good job of replenishing the position, and that's reflected in a recent power ranking.
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 centers in the NFL and placed Hainsey at No. 23, pointing out that the fifth-year veteran lost his job to 2024 first-round pick Graham Barton last year but fared well when called upon.
"After losing his starting spot with the Buccaneeers to Graham Barton, Hainsey signed a three-year deal with the Jaguras, following his former offensive coordinator, Liam Coen," Cameron wrote. "While we haven't seen much of Hainsey over the past year, he did show flashes on a small sample size, posting a 73.2 PFF overall grade. That should be a positive step toward a return to form in Jacksonville."
A third-round pick in 2021, Hainsey appeared in nine games as a rookie and earned the starting job at center in Year 2. While it's true that he was phased out in favor of Graham last season, he gave up a combined five sacks and 55 total pressures in 2022 and 2023.
As Cameron noted, one of the biggest reasons the Jags inked Hainsey was his familiarity with head coach Liam Coen, having played for him as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In fact, he acknowledged after the signing that the veteran center would help him spread his system along the offensive line.
In case you were wondering, Barton popped up at No. 21. Creed Humphrey (Kansas City Chiefs) got the top spot in the ranking, and Tyler Linderbaum (Baltimore Ravens) finished second. Zach Frazier (Pittsburgh Steelers) was ranked third, while Erik McCoy and Drew Dalman landed at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
Robert Hainsey gives the Jaguars an immediate starting at center
Even though Robert Hainsey is far from a Pro Bowl-caliber talent, he should hold the fort for at least a couple seasons. For the time being, the team's brass will develop Monheim, who was dubbed a grand slam by USC head coach Lincoln Riley after the NFL Draft. And if either one fails to make a strong impression, the team's brass could address the position once again next year.
And that's the thing, the Jaguars made additions at center in the offseason but didn't go out of their way to do it because they had bigger priorities. Having said that, Hainsey is a capable starter, Luke Fortner is a decent backup, and Monheim is a promising developmental prospect. This is a long-winded way to say that they're set at the position.
Heading into the 2025 season, you won't see the Jaguars at the top of many center rankings, but that doesn't mean they're not in good shape.