The Jacksonville Jaguars just got some bad news regarding one of their projected starting offensive linemen.
Per NFL insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport, right guard Patrick Mekari underwent a procedure on his back and is expected to miss some time. It is being reported that the team expects Mekari to return at some point this season and has yet to decide whether to place him on IR.
Mekari is the latest Jaguars lineman to suffer an injury. Starting left tackle Cole Van Lanen was injured at the end of last season and has yet to return to practice. Walker Little, who was first up to try to fill Van Lanen's LT spot but struggled mightily, resulting in right tackle Anton Harrison being moved to the left side, is also hurt. Little has experience playing right guard.
Tackle Chuma Edoga is also out with an injury suffered in Saturday's preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.
Jacksonville's offensive line depth is being greatly tested. The most obvious replacements for Mekari right now are rookie Emmanuel Pregnon, who had a promising debut on Saturday, and second-year guard Wyatt Milum, who only earned a 54.6 PFF grade against the Saints.
On the Jaguars' first unofficial depth chart, Milum was listed as the first backup behind Mekari at right guard.
How Will Jaguars Replace Mekari?
Luckily, the Jaguars have plenty of options to replace Mekari. Any of the trio of Milum, Pregnon, and Little could step in and start at right guard if needed.
However, with Little also injured for the time being, that means either Milum or Pregnon will likely earn the spot, at least in the short-term. Milum has the edge in experience, both in time spent in the NFL and at right guard. Pregnon is more of a left guard, but played better in Saturday's contest that Milum.
Jacksonville could also move starting left guard Ezra Cleveland to RG and let Pregnon take over at LG. Cleveland could even play RT if asked, allowing Pregnon and Milum become the two starting guards.
Pregnon and Milum are likely the future starters at each guard spot, though the Jaguars may have preferred waiting until 2027 before having them take over.
CVL could either play RT or RG when he returns from his own injury, as could Little. Having so many linemen with positional versatility is really coming in handy for the Jaguars.
Final Thoughts
Losing Mekari for an extended period of time is a big blow to Jacksonville's line. Although the Jaguars have several potential replacements who can play RG, many of their options would require changing players at multiple positions along the line.
Starting either Milum or Pregnon at LG while Mekari is out may be the cleanest way to replace him without giving the entire line a makeover.
Both Milum and Pregnon were drafted to become Jacksonville's starting guards of the future. The injury to Mekari may force that future to start right away.