With the 2026 NFL draft just days away, we continue our feature profiles of the Jacksonville Jaguars' draft selections from 2025.

The Jags took nine players last year, starting with Heisman Trophy-winning receiver-cornerback Travis Hunter as the No. 2 overall pick.  

The team then took back-to-back picks in the Round 3 -- defensive back Caleb Ransaw at No. 88 and at No. 89 offensive lineman Wyatt Milum. The Jags' first choice in Round 4 was running back Bhayshul Tuten out of Virginia Tech (104th overall); their other fourth-round selection was linebacker Jack Kiser (107th overall).

After sitting out the fifth round of last year's draft, Jacksonville netted two steals from Round 6, including linebacker Jalen McLeod out of Auburn at 194th and the 200th overall draftee, safety Rayuan Lane III out of Navy.

Here, we shine a spotlight on a true draft gem that Jacksonville found in the draft's final go-round -- offensive lineman Jonah Monheim out of USC.

The Jaguars' approach to the offensive line entering 2026 is defined by structural continuity. That philosophy -- staying intact, preserving depth, and minimizing drop-off when injuries inevitably hit -- helped turn seventh-round pick Jonah Monheim into a meaningful part of the unit's internal rotation as a rookie.

Selected 221st overall out of Southern Cal, Monheim arrived in Jacksonville with a profile that didn't fit neatly into a single position label. A four-star recruit from Moorpark, California, he spent his college career moving across the offensive front, ultimately becoming one of the more versatile linemen in the country.

At USC, Monheim appeared in 52 games with 46 starts, lining up at right tackle, right guard, left tackle and center over the course of his career. His final season in 2024 included 12 starts and third-team All-Big Ten honors as he helped anchor a Trojans offense that finished top-10 nationally in passing offense (291.9 yards per game) and 23rd in total offense (437.2).

That versatility defined his projection entering the NFL. Evaluators viewed him as a technically refined, intelligent lineman with strong communication skills and reliable pass protection technique. The concerns were familiar for a player of his profile: lack of ideal length and questions about how consistently he could handle powerful interior defenders at the next level.

At the 2025 NFL combine, Monheim graded out as a steady performer among his position group, posting a 69 production score (fourth among peers), a 72 athleticism score (fifth), and a 71 overall score that ranked fifth at his position. While not viewed as a standout physical tester, he entered the league with a reputation for awareness, preparation, and positional flexibility.

That flexibility became the defining feature of his rookie season.

Monheim appeared in all three preseason games for Jacksonville and remained part of the active roster rotation throughout the year. He ultimately played in every game, including the postseason, functioning as a reserve interior lineman who could move between guard and center without requiring schematic adjustment.

His most visible contributions came when injuries forced Jacksonville to adjust up front. Monheim made two starts at center during the regular season -- on Oct. 12 against Seattle and again on Dec. 28 in a key division game in Indianapolis -- filling in for Robert Hainsey as the Jaguars reshuffled their interior line.

Head coach Liam Coen said the Tennessee performance, in particular, reflected the trust the staff had built in Monheim over time rather than a one-game evaluation.

"I thought he did a great job. The operation was clean. Didn’t feel like there were any real issues from that standpoint, or handling the silent count, handling multiple different cadences throughout the game. His snaps were all really good. I didn’t feel any sort of difference," Coen told reporters following the Jags' 23-17 win over the Colts. "So credit a guy that has prepared the right way all season long. Every week you really can tell Jonah's locked into the plan."

That evaluation extended beyond a single outing and into how the coaching staff viewed the offensive line as a whole.

James Gladstone emphasized continuity up front is a foundational for the Jags' offense.

"The continuity at that position group in particular is one that makes more sense than any other. It's a necessity," Gladstone told reporters in his end-of-season remarks in January. "It's never one individual that tilts the scale there as much as it is just the collective effort as a whole, and being able to insert guys throughout the course of a season and not feel some significant drop-off in the collective output is a really important piece."

For Monheim, that philosophy translated directly into his rookie role. Rather than being treated as a developmental depth piece waiting for opportunity, he functioned as a plug-and-play yeoman capable of maintaining stability in an ever-shifting o-line.

That alignment between player profile and organizational approach carried through to the end of the season. Monheim remained active into the postseason and was part of a unit the Jaguars relied on heavily during their late-season stretch.

Entering 2026, Monheim is currently positioned behind Robert Hainsey at center, reflecting the structure that developed over the course of his rookie year. Barring injury-driven changes, that role is expected to remain in place. Monheim's value to the roster is already clear: he is one of the interior options Jacksonville can count on without altering its offensive identity.

In a season defined by attrition along the offensive line, Monheim's contributions held the line for the group's performance continuity.

For a seventh-round pick, Monheim has fit in as seamlessly as if he's been part of the system for years.

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We will wrap up our "Whatever Happened to Jags' Class of 2025" series with a closer look at Jacksonville's other Round 7 selection and the team's final pick last year, Syracuse running back LeQuint Allen Jr.

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