4 Jaguars players we can safely call busts after the 2023 season

3. Luke Fortner, center

Progress isn't linear, and that's true in pretty much every field. In the NFL, players could show progress, then regress, and later get back on track. But in Luke Fortner's case, he hasn't simply shown enough over the last two seasons to make you think he'll eventually put it all together.

A third-round pick in 2022, Fortner was a Day 1 starter as a rookie and was the only Jaguars player who's played every possible offensive snap the past two years. But as commendable as that achievement is, he's a big reason the offensive line struggled to protect Trevor Lawrence in 2023.

Routinely overpowered at the line of scrimmage, the former Kentucky Wildcat gave up 28 total pressures and three sacks last year. Similarly, he struggled as a run blocker, registering a subpar Pro Football Focus grade of 40.0 in that department.

The only reason Fortner might've stayed in the starting lineup was that the Jaguars didn't have any better options available. That should change this offseason. Ideally, the team's brass will use an early-round pick to find his potential replacement (Jackson Powers-Johnson anyone?). They could also sign a veteran like Andre James or Aaron Brewer in free agency.

But if Jacksonville doesn't want to pour many resources into the position (they should), they need to at least bring in someone to compete with Foster for the center job. Either way, he isn't suited for a starting role at this stage of his career. The sooner the Jaguars come to terms with it, the faster they'll be able to upgrade the center position.