The Jacksonville Jaguars are a team on the rise. They took full advantage of the Tennessee Titans falling apart during the 2023 season, storming back from a 3-7 start to finish the season 9-8 and win the AFC South.
In the playoffs, they had a historic comeback as well. Trailing 27-0 in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Jaguars were able to erase that deficit and win the game 31-30. In the Divisional Round, they gave the Kansas City Chiefs all they could handle but fell short, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions, 27-20.
Heading into the 2023 season, optimism is high in Jacksonville. The team has a young star at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and they have surrounded him with weapons. Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram and Travis Etienne are all back and now he will also have Calvin Ridley.
This offense has the makings to be one of the best in the NFL. But, if there is one thing that will hold them back, it is the offensive line. The Jaguars ranked 31st in pass block win rate in 2022. That ranking can’t get much worse, but their performance could very well drop off with Jawaan Taylor departing in free agency.
Cam Robinson wasn’t great last season, ranking 59th out of 64 players in PBWR, but he will be suspended for the first six games of the season. That could thrust Walker Little and rookie first-round pick Anton Harrison into the starting lineup.
Outside of Brandon Scherff, the interior of the offensive line isn’t much better. So, that is why Seth Walder of ESPN suggested that the Jaguars make a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to bolster their lineup in the trenches.
Walder put together a preseason trade match that makes sense for both sides. Baltimore would send Patrick Mekari to Jacksonville, along with a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick.
Trading that much for a backup seems like a steep price, but Mekari has immense value to the Ravens. His versatility is remarkable, as he can play all five spots along the offensive line and do them well. Mekari is also under team control for two more seasons at around $4 million per Walder, making him extremely valuable.
The ability to play anywhere would be a huge benefit to the Jaguars. They could see how things unfold with their other potential starters in what would be one big training camp battle. Mekari could then be slotted into the position they feel needs the most help, likely one of the tackle spots, providing Lawrence with a much-needed offensive line upgrade.
