Rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon has held his own as a starter. Jacksonville OC Grant Udinski believes he is getting better every week.
The Jacksonville Jaguars look like they got a steal when they drafted guard Emmanuel Pregnon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pregnon was expected to be a big part of the Jaguars' future. Once he earned the starting left guard job, it was expected to be his for the next decade. Preseason injuries all around Jacksonville's offensive line forced the team to move three starters, Anton Harrison, Cole Van Lanen, and Ezra Cleveland, to different positions.
Cleveland was switched from left guard to right guard after Patrick Mekari's back injury, which required surgery. That opened the LG spot for Pregnon, and he has taken it without looking back.
Pregnon has had his share of issues, as evidenced by his 51.8 overall grade from PFF, which ranks 55th out of 72 qualifying guards.
However, Pregnon has shown a lot of promise and has done nothing to suggest he isn't going to be a very good starter for a long time. In three games, the rookie has yet to allow a sack and has only allowed a single quarterback hit. He has also been penalized only once.
Jacksonville offensive coordinator Grant Udinski spoke with the media on Thursday and talked about how much Pregnon has improved over the first three weeks of the season.
Pregnon Is Gaining "Invaluable" Experience
Udinski believes the experience Pregnon has gained so far is "invaluable," and the fact that he has played against different teams and already seen different techniques will greatly benefit him going forward. He thinks Pregnon has done a terrific job and "embraced" the challenges set in front of him each week.
"For him to get out there and face those different techniques and face those different types of plays is really invaluable, and it's awesome to see the way he's embraced all the different challenges on kind of a week-to-week basis.”
If Pregnon continues to grow as the new-look offensive line builds chemistry and continuity as the season progresses, he will prove to be a draft steal. The talent is already there. Pregnon just needs the experience to go along with it.
Even though the offensive line was thrown together due to injury, it has held up very well through three games. Week 2’s loss at Denver was the exception, when QB Trevor Lawrence was under consistent pressure.
Pregnon has been a big part of that, and should get even better the more experience he gains.
Final Thoughts
The start to Pregnon’s career has been very encouraging. Injuries forced him into the starting lineup sooner than anticipated, but he has not looked out of place.
As the Jaguars try to reach the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl, it is a comforting thought knowing that the rookie should be significantly better come playoff time than he is now.
Udinski has already seen enough positives from Pregnon to have complete confidence and trust in the soon-to-be 25-year-old.
If he continues to develop, which he should under Udinski and head coach Liam Coen, Pregnon should be a building block for Jacksonville’s offensive line for years to come.
