The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't even made it to the first preseason game and we might have already seen the first major change on depth chart. Before training camp began, Patrick Mekari was one of the five players we thought were on the hottest seats imaginable. Now, before the Hall of Fame game even kicks off, last year's big free agent signing could already be headed to the bench.
According to Sports Illustrated's John Shipley, Mekari's role as the Jaguars' starting right guard is up in the air. Earlier this summer, the journalist predicted that Wyatt Milum would gradually overtake Mekari as training camp rolled along. Now, instead of the battle taking the entire preseason, Shipley says that we're already seeing a "new normal."
While elaborating, the beat writer wrote that, "Mekari has been limited in practice in terms of team reps through the first three days of camp and it is Wyatt Milum who has instead seen the most snaps at the right guard spot."
The quote above tells the entire story, so it's time to figure out what it would actually mean if Liam Coen were to bench Mekari for good this early into No. 65's stint in Jacksonville.
Wyatt Milum's emergence is a sign of the Jacksonville Jaguars' new way of doing business
There was once a time when the Jaguars would keep a big free agent signing on the starting lineup until the bitter end. Fans could see that the team wasn't getting its money's worth, but the inability to draft elite talents at certain positions prevented the front office and coaching staff from going in a different direction.
Fast forward to 2026, and it looks like James Gladstone may have found multiple answers to the problem caused by Mekari's lack of availability thus far. Last year, Wyatt Milum came to the Jags after being selected in the third round. The hulking prospect had experience playing left tackle at West Virginia, which meant that he could end up being the franchise's long-term successor to one of the most-important positions in all of pro football if he surprised the coaches during his development.
In his rookie season, Milum only got 96 snaps of action on offense across 10 games with no starts. That means we barely got a glimpse of what he could do at either of the positions he's familiar with at the NFL level.
The Mountaineer's lack of film in the pros is what makes his explosive rise up the depth chart this early into training camp so surprising. At one point in NFL history, veterans didn't lose their jobs while they were hurt. However, the current generation of the league is much different. That being said, you'd think that a team's coaching staff would prefer to see an ascending player show something in a real game before making the final call.
Now, if Mekari's inability to practice is what's making this a real battle, then things will go back to normal fairly quickly if he can remind the coaching staff why his services were acquired in the first place. Before this conundrum, he probably wasn't tabbed to play a lot of snaps this preseason; but the former Baltimore Raven could benefit from the opportunity to show he can still play every position along the offensive line as the month progresses.
As always, we'll be keeping a close eye on everything as this position battle, and others, are decided during the second training camp of the Liam Coen Era. If the first few practices are anything to go by, it's clear that the new sheriff in town wants to play the best lineup he can at all times. The tenured veterans who want to be in those formations should show how well they match the new standard as much as possible, or a young pup might take their job, too.
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