In the Jacksonville Jaguars’ joint practice with the New Orleans Saints, the offensive line unit took its lumps.
In large part due to injuries, this position group already had its unknowns going into Thursday’s practice. Cole Van Lanen remains on the PUP list, Patrick Mekari hasn’t participated in team drills, while Walker Little has been sidelined recently.
This has led to a lot of movement up front, and the Saints took advantage.
According to Nick Underhill of New Orleans Football, he counted that the Saints’ defensive front generated six sacks and three quarterback pressures over the course of the joint practice.
That’s a lot.
At one point, Brent Martineau noted that the Jaguars’ offensive line unit was made up of Anton Harrison at left tackle, followed by Ezra Cleveland, Robert Hainsey, Jonah Monheim, and Wyatt Milum. This is the starting unit that we’ve primarily seen as of late.
Later on in practice, John Oehser posted on X that Milum moved to right guard and Chuma Edoga took over at right tackle.
Liam Coen did mention afterward that as the practice went on, the Jaguars did begin running the ball better. The offense did also find success in the red zone.
“There was a lot of rotating – whether it’s trying to get guys work at different spots in these settings or because we had guys cramping and had to mix it up,” Coen said, via Jaguars.com. “Proud of the guys for fighting through.”
Hopefully, getting healthier will lead to more steady play, but as of now, offensive line play is a concern for the Jaguars.
This unit will play a key role in determining how good the Jaguars’ offense is this season. Without a steady run game to lean on or time in the pocket for the quarterback, moving the ball consistently becomes a major challenge.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Questions around Jaguars position group raised after joint practice
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
