It's upon us. Come this weekend, the Jacksonville Jaguars will start training camp. Position battles will be aplenty, and the franchise's youngest stars will finally show up on the national media's radar as Liam Coen and his highly-coveted coordinators get ready to defend their AFC South Championship.
Unfortunately, the arrival of training camp also means that some players will reach the end of their pro football stories. One of these players could be Patrick Mekari, a versatile offensive lineman who was actually one of James Gladstone's most important signings last year.
Despite having a disappointing debut season in Duval, Mekari is still a key part of the offensive line on paper. His best trait is his flexibility along the offensive front, which is obviously very valuable. However, it might not be enough to keep his spot as a starter if one of the young bucks behind him steps up.
Patrick Mekari could be at risk of losing his job in Jaguars training camp
While giving his take on Patrick Mekari's versatility, Sports Illustrated's John Shipley wrote that, "Mekari's biggest strength, of course, is his ability to play each spot on the offensive line."
Shipley continued, "He has experience in the NFL at all five spots on the line, which gives the Jaguars options when it comes to swing tackle options, as well as another veteran who could step into the all-important center spot if the Jaguars ever need it. Not many players can play tackle, center, and guard, but Mekari has proven he can do so."
The horses behind Mekari haven't proven that they can handle the same type of workload at the NFL level, and the former Baltimore Raven will need to capitalize on this if he wants to stay at the top of the depth chart.
Wyatt Milum and Emmanuel Pregnon could push Patrick Mekari and take his job
I want to say that Emmanuel Pregnon is the best candidate to take over Jacksonville's right guard spot this year, but there's another former third-round pick in the O-Line room as well. Wyatt Milum's size, skill set, and status as one of James Gladstone's first picks as a GM give him the inside track to surprise us this year. Milum should have another season or so to develop because of Mekari's contract, but he actually got to see the field as a rookie for various reasons.
In his rookie campaign, Milum played 101 snaps, with most of them, ironically, being at right guard. He was a left tackle at West Virginia, which means he could also be an emergency option on the blindside if Cole Van Lanen isn't ready to suit up because of his knee injury.
To me, third-round picks should be viewed as players who can either start as rookies or accept more responsibility during their second years as the veterans in front of them age out or are sent to different teams for cap-saving purposes.
The three-year, $37.5 million contract Mekari signed last season is actually pretty cheap when you consider his ability to start at left or right tackle. Even better (or worse, depending on who you ask), his salary isn't so high that he can't be benched if a better player proves his worth during training camp or joint practices.
Mekari wasn't one of the Jaguars' best pass protectors during his first year on the team. It's obvious that the team will be running the ball more often after investing heavily in players who can block all over the field, but there's no guarantee that Mekari's a better mauler than Milum.
To be honest, getting Emmanuel Pregnon in the third round was an absolute steal in itself, so it isn't outside the realm of possibility that the Oregon Duck is already the best guard on the entire roster and we don't even know it yet.
What Patrick Mekari in Jaguars training camp to stand his ground
Milum's had a chance to practice within Coen's system for an entire year while getting his bearings as an NFL pro. Likewise, he knows exactly what the new standard is in Jacksonville, so it's unlikely that he'll come into camp out of shape or unprepared to compete at the highest level. In a truly open competition,
I don't know if Mekari is the fifth-best offensive lineman on the Jaguars' roster. However, this weekend will be his first chance to prove that he is.
To stay a starter, Mekari will have to lean on his experience as an athlete who has now contributed to two playoff-caliber franchises throughout his career. Here's a fun fact, by the way: Mekari's never participated in an NFL campaign where his team didn't make the postseason. Baltimore made the dance every year from 2019 to 2024, and Jacksonville hosted the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round in 2025. He's a winner, and winning is the most valuable thing of all.
Also, if we're just talking about starting, I'm not sure Walker Little is one of the best offensive linemen on the team either. The timing of Cole Van Lanen's injury was as bad as it could be, which means that the left tackle spot is actually up in the air until we get word and on-the-field evidence of how healthy the 28-year-old can get by September.
After Little, the starting and backup left tackle spots are up for grabs. If the emergency scenario I mentioned earlier becomes a reality, Wyatt Milum could find himself in a dogfight for the most prestigious role in the trenches while Van Lanen stays on the mend. Or, the Jags could look at the salary they're paying Mekari and realize that their tab's already covered this exact moment. It would be crazy, and not the most ideal, but Mekari filling in at LT1 for Week 1 certainly isn't impossible.
Once again, I'll give Gladstone credit for this: I can't remember the last time there was this much depth going into training camp. Hopefully, one of the many unheralded contributors the executive has acquired can become a shining star before the franchise begins its quest to defend its AFC South title.
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