Will Jaguars Rookie G Pregnon Work His Way Into Starting Role?

Injuries are an unfortunate part of training camp and joint practices, with multiple Jacksonville Jaguars suffering ailments during their first preseason game.

On Tuesday, LeQuint Allen Jr. was shut down for the rest of camp with a soft tissue injury, while Parker Washington and Wyatt Milum are out for the week.

Milum is another name on the offensive line who is dealing with injury, with veteran guard Patrick Mekari recently undergoing back surgery and rookie guard Garrett DiGiorgio and 2021 sixth rounder Cole Van Lanen being placed on the PUP list.

This has opened the door for rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon to cement himself as a starting guard on Jacksonville's line.

Pregnon got his first taste of NFL action in the Jaguars' victory against the New Orleans Saints, where he looked solid on the interior.

On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski talked about what he has seen from his rookie lineman.

"You see the physicality, you see the strength, you see the athleticism and he's able to showcase that stuff now because he has a better understanding of the system," Udinski said.

In camp, he has been cycled in and out with the first unit, but has gotten good reps against rushers like Joshua Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.

Last season, Pregnon was perhaps the best offensive lineman on an Oregon team that made it to the second round of the College Football Playoff and finished as a finalist for the best offensive line in college football.

Pregnon started all 15 games last season, earning First-team AP All-American honors. He uses his 6-foot-4, 314 pound frame to dominate defensive lineman in pass protection, providing an instant plug-and-play option for Jacksonville to utilize.

After a confusing second round pick, drafting tight end Nate Boerkircher, Jacksonville responded with a great value-pick, as Pregnon was ranked within the top-50 on some projections.

Following the pick, head coach Liam Coen described Pregnon as succinctly as he could, calling him, "ass and mass."

The interior of Jacksonville's offensive line is one of the roster's few weaknesses, with Ezra Cleveland remaining as the final healthy guard.

The offensive line will need to play strong early in the season to help the new 1-2 punch of Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten get acclimated to their increased role.

The run game should be dynamic, but it may take time for the Jaguars to get used to a non-Travis Etienne package.

Having Pregnon healthy and developing will be a key to how quickly the run game gets going and keeping Trevor Lawrence upright.