The Jacksonville Jaguars have taken steps towards fortifying their offensive line ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Not long after hosting offensive tackle Cameron Fleming for a visit they've brought back a familiar face in Josh Wells, who previously donned the Black and Teal from 2014 to 2018.
Both Fleming and Wells can line up at different spots across the offensive line but the team's brass felt comfortable going the latter. Otherwise, they wouldn't have signed him, right?
Wells went undrafted in 2014 but signed with the Jags and went on to appear in 39 games with nine starts before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. The James Madison product could push Walker Little for the right tackle job in training camp but there's a stronger chance he'll be the team's swing tackle, the role Little had last season.
Even though the Jags could still choose an offensive lineman early in the 2023 NFL Draft despite the addition, the group looks solid overall, and here's a ranking of their five projected starters next season.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars Pre-NFL Draft O-Line Rankings: Ben Bartch, LG
The 2020 draft was one of the worst general manager Dave Caldwell oversaw when he was running the Jaguars' front office. That year, Jacksonville had three picks in the top 50, and all of them are already gone. Then again, not everything was doom and gloom, as Caldwell found some valuable contributors in the middle and late rounds. Defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton might be the one that stands out the most but Jacksonville has also gotten significant production from guard Ben Bartch.
A fourth-round pick in 2020, the former St. John Johnny was pushed into the spotlight when injuries struck the offensive line. Even though he struggled at times, he also showed starting potential. Bartch would also get playing time in 2021 when he took over at right tackle in relief of A.J. Cann, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4.
Bartch progressively got better and was the starter at left guard in Week 1 last year. However, he suffered a knee injury in Week 5 that ended his season prematurely. The Oregon native is entering a contract year and might need to compete for his job if the front office takes an offensive guard, such as O'Cyrus Torrence, early in the draft, which is why he takes the last spot in this ranking.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars Pre-NFL Draft O-Line Rankings: Luke Fortner, C
Center Brandon Linder was a mainstay of the Jaguars' offensive line and one of their best players overall since he was taken in the third-round of the 2014 draft. However, he struggled to stay healthy late in his career, which is why he hung up the cleats last offseason.
The Jaguars quickly got to work and drafted Luke Fortner in the third round of last year's draft to fill the void left by Linder. The former Kentucky Wildcat didn't get many reps early in training camp but was still named the Week 1 starter at center and never looked back, appearing in every single snap on offense last season.
Not only did Fortner start all 17 games in 2022 but he also held his own. The former Kentucky Wildcat was far from perfect, giving up 36 total pressures and posting a subpar Pro Football Focus overall grade of 49.6. Nevertheless, he got better as the season progressed and should once again be the Week 1 starter.
You could make the case that Fortner was the weakest link on the Jaguars' offensive line last season but it's hard to blame the coaching staff for trusting him into the starting lineup and letting him learn on the job. In the end, he proved he was up to the task and should make strides in Year 2.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars Pre-NFL Draft O-Line Rankings: Walker Little, RT
This is where things get tricky because Walker Little will potentially fill the Jags' void t right tackle in 2023 but there's no guarantee he'll be in the starting lineup come Week 1. Then again, he's done enough over the last two seasons to prove he's capable of replacing Jawaan Taylor, who signed a four-year deal worth $80 with the Denver Broncos in free agency.
Little was seen as a potential top-10 pick early in his collegiate career. But he then missed most of the 2019 season with a torn ACL and later opted out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not playing for nearly two years affected Little's stock and he ended up sliding to the second round, where the Jaguars choose him with the 45th overall selection.
Despite the fact that the former Stanford Cardinal showed up at Organized Team Activities in great shape, he spent most of his rookie season on the bench. Little did make three starts, all of them in relief of Cam Robinson at left tackle, in 2021. He struggled in the first one but showed promise in the next two, giving up just one total pressure and no sacks on 39 pass-blocking snaps.
Given that the Jaguars gave Robinson a multi-year extension last offseason, Little was moved to the right side, where he competed with Taylor for the starting job in training camp. Even though Little lost, he took the battle down to the wire and when Robinson missed time, he once again did a good job of filling in for him.
Little might need to compete for the right tackle job again if the Jaguars draft an offensive tackle in the first round of the draft but he should be able to seize it this time around.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars Pre-NFL Draft O-Line Rankings: Cam Robinson, LT
Left tackle Cam Robinson deserves credit for outlasting Doug Marrone and Urban Meyer. However, that shouldn't be the only reason the Alabama product gets praised. After all, it took him a while to hit this stride but the team's trust never wavered and he rewarded them with his outstanding play on the field the last two years.
See, Robinson missed most of the 2018 season with torn ACL and he struggled to find his footing the next two seasons. And for a moment, it looked like he was on his way out in 2021 but he got the franchise tag and went on have a career year. That season, he allowed just one sack and a career-best 31 total pressures. On top of that, he earned a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 76.6.
Instead of applying the franchise tag on Robinson for the second year in a row, the Jaguars gave him a three-year contract worth $54 million. Although he didn't get widespread recognition, he brought stability to the left tackle position and ensured Trevor Lawrence was protected throughout the 2022 season. Moreover, he became a more local leader on the offensive line.
You could make the case that the Jags overpaid for Robinson, who didn't get Pro Bowl honors and missed three games last year. However, they feel good about their investment and won't hear about them having buyer's remorse anytime soon.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars Pre-NFL Draft O-Line Rankings: Brandon Scherff, RG
All NFL players are worth what any given team is willing to pay them the Jaguars raised eyebrows when they gave left guard Brandon Scherff a staggering three-year, $49.5 million. After all, he hadn't started a full season since 2016 but he put any doubts about his potential availability when he started all 17 games last season. The fact that he did it while dealing with an abdomen injury makes the feat even more impressive.
Right off the bat, Scherff's teammates recognized his impact, which is why they named him team captain even though he had joined the Jags just a few months prior. Although the former Iowa Hawkeye didn't make the Pro Bowl nor get an All-Pro designation, he solidified the right guard position, appearing in 97 percent of the offensive snaps last year. You could argue that Scherff's salary wasn't proportional to his production but as previously noted, he was playing while hurt and still managed to get the job done.
Scherff should be fully healthy in 2023 and that turns out to be the case, nothing stopping him from making the Pro Bowl once again and the second First-Team All-Pro designation of his football career. Also, he'll have the chance to start all games in back-to-back seasons, something he hasn't been able to do since 2016.