Jaguars offensive line is fine, actually

The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line in 2018 was in shambles about mid-way through the season. By the end of the season there was only one Week 1 starter left on the active game day roster, recently re-signed right guard A.J. Cann, and the rest were back ups of back ups. As stated, it was simply a mess.

I think because of the slew of injuries to the front and second line of the offensive line, it’s led to people over exaggerating the issues on the Jaguars offensive line and how big of a need it is to address it. The team is returning four of their five starters from last season and will need to figure out the right tackle position, but they have options there.

Left tackle Cam Robinson was having an up and down early season before tearing his ACL in Week 2 against the New England Patriots, but even in his struggles in the preseason he wasn’t a liability, he just hadn’t taken that next step just yet. Given he’s an offensive lineman and his injury was so early in the season, I’d expect him to be ready to go for even the preseason.

At right guard Andrew Norwell dealt with a foot injury most of the season, but his play was still just fine. He missed the final few weeks of the season with an ankle injury, but he should be good to go to start 2019. Starting center Brandon Linder went on injured reserve mid-season with another knee injury, but he’s going to be expected back to start the season as well.

The line in 2017, which was comprised of three of those four players, was just fine and just fine is all you need to be successful in the NFL on the offensive line right now. You’d prefer better, but as it stands right now better than “bad” is top half of the league.

The big issue is the team is going to need to figure out the right tackle position, which has led a lot of people to earmark an offensive tackle with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, however they don’t need to spend that kind of capital on that position. They do have Will Richardson, the team’s fourth-round pick from a year ago, who many thought projected to a starting NFL right tackle. They brought in Cedric Ogbuehi, who has been a bust thus far in his NFL career, but has a lot of natural ability. The Jaguars were able to make Ereck Flowers appear serviceable at left tackle, so perhaps they can get by with Ogbuehi at right (I personally doubt it!).

You can find right tackles on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, there’s no need to force one with the seventh overall pick.

The Jaguars offensive line situation isn’t as dire as it’s made out to be, people just remember the final few weeks of the season where they were forced to trot out street free agents signed the week prior as starters.