The Jacksonville Jaguars are giving a clean slate to players that the past regime brougth in. Some have taken advantage of the opportunity, but others have failed to come through. Fourth-year center Luke Fortner currently falls in the latter category.
Whereas offensive linemen such as Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland, and Anton Harrison have made a strong impression, Fortner hasn't done much of note. Sometimes, that's a good thing, as you don't want to make headlines for the wrong reasons. Having said that, it's a bit concerning that the former Kentucky Wildcat has been unremarkable while his teammates have seen their stock rise.
Luke Fortner has failed to stand out at Jaguars camp
Back at the Jaguars mock game, Josh Shipley of Sports Illustrated reported that the second-team offensive line left much to be desired. Here's the skinny.
"The Jaguars' offensive line depth is a big work in progress," Shipley wrote. "The starting unit looked as expected against the backup defense, but the offensive tackles for the second team had a really rough go of it. With Cole Van Lanen injured, this could be a spot to watch."
It's worth noting that Chuma Edoga has gotten praise while filling in for Patrick Mekari. However, no other backup offensive lineman on the interior has stood out. This is relevant to Fortner for a couple of reasons.
For starters, it's hard to tell just how many reps the fourth-year center is getting, but either he's struggling or has been so underwhelming that he cannot even get reps with the second team. Neither scenario is great.
And with rookie Jonah Monheim lurking behind him, Fortner could enter the preason on the roster bubble.
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Luke Fortner must make a strong impression to stick around with the Jaguars
A third-round pick in 2022, Fortner earned the starting job at center before the start of his rookie campaign. He went on to play all 100 percent of the team's total snaps that year, flashing potential along the way. However, the Cleveland, Ohio native also showed room for improvement. Expected to make strides the following year, he instead struggled so badly that the team's brass brought in Mitch Morse to replace him.
Fortner spent the 2024 season behind Morse and didn't do enough to make you think that he deserved a shot at a featured role. Fast forward to 2025, and his status hasn't changed because the Jaguars signed Robert Hainsey to start at center. Couple that with the fact that the front office selected Jona Monheim on Day 3 of this year's draft, and Fortner could have an uphill battle to make the team.
The good news is that Fortner still has a bit of time to turn the narrative. However, he must act quickly, or else run the risk of being a victim of the numbers game come cutdown day.