Jaguars won't be enthused about Patrick Mekari's appearance on controversial list

The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't run the ball or protect whoever lined up behind center last season, so it wasn't particularly shocking to see the new regime make a big investment in upgrading the offensive trenches. The unit looks much better than it did at the end of 2024, but Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report doesn't think the Jags will get much bang for their buck from one of the bigs they lock up in free agency. In fact, he's projecting the signing to go belly up.

Knox predicted every NFL team's biggest bust for 2025 and chose Mekari for Jacksonville, pointing out that his past play doesn't match what he got paid.

"Bad teams often overpay to add free agents, and we saw a couple of AFC South teams do it for offensive linemen this season," Knox wrote. "That could lead to players like Patrick Mekari becoming financial busts, even though they were overpaid from the moment they arrived."

Knox continues, "The Jacksonville Jaguars gave Mekari a three-year, $37.5 million deal to lure him away from Baltimore. That makes him the 18th highest-paid guard in the NFL in terms of annual salary. Last season, he was ranked just 71st overall among guards by Pro Football Focus."

Mekari joined the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted in 2019. He spent seasons with them, appearing in 88 games with 53 starts.

The other offensive lineman Knox is referring to is Dan Moore, who got a top-market money from the Tennessee Titans despite the fact that he has so far been rather underwhelming throughout his career. The difference is that, unlike the Jags with Mekari, the Titans have consistently gotten flak for the move.

It's important to point out, though, that players have a finite window to make money, and they're worth what a team is willing to pay. Nobody is going to get a contract offer and tell the team that his salary is too high. With that out of the way, Mekari wasn't a bargain but didn't get overpaid either.

With Trent Baalke as the general manager, the Jags routinely paid a premium for free agents to fix roster holes. That practice has changed since James Gladstone took the reins of the front office. And while Jacksonville made several moves in 2025's free agency, none of their signings were of the splash variety.

Instead of going after Aaron Banks or Will Fries, the Jags went with Mekari, who was arguably in the second tier of guards in the open market.

In case it doesn't work out, the Jaguars can easily cut ties with Mekari after just two seasons and save $13 million in cap space with just $3.3 million in dead money.

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The Jaguars believe Patrick Mekari will solidify the right guard spot

Patrick Mekari's Pro Football Focus grades don't look great. However, they don't take into account that he's lined up at all five spots in the offensive line, and without a true position, he hasn't been able to build consistency.

Last year, Mekari found his home at left guard, and he'll be asked to move to the right side in Jacksonville. You would be hard-pressed to find an offensive lineman who can play at a high level after switching positions every year of his career. Working in his favor is that the California product will no longer be changing positions with the Jags. That will allow him to hit his stride.

Ultimately, there's always a risk when signing a player in free agency (injury, underperformance), but Patrick Mekari would have to massively flop to be called a bust. Based on his career trajectory, it won't be happening with the Jaguars.

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