The preseason is not usually a place for starters to lose their job; it’s a proving ground for the back end of the roster. It’s a place where players confirm to their organizations that they belong in the NFL and deserve to be on the field or on the practice squad. It’s not usually a place where starters have to look over their shoulders, especially a team with the continuity of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who return their entire offensive line and its depth. But the way that Emmanuel Pregnon played in the first week against the Saints, could he somehow play his way onto the starting line against the Panthers?
Who Would Pregnon Be Jumping on the Depth Chart?
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For Pregnon to get into the starting lineup, he would have to jump Ezra Cleveland, the current left guard. According to recent reports from camp, it seems Cleveland is doing everything in his power to ensure he is this team’s left guard come Week 1.
Cleveland’s versatility across the line makes him such an asset for this Jaguars line, but it also makes the opportunity for Pregnon that much more real. Cleveland works on both sides of the line at both tackle and guard, so all it takes is one injury from this injury-prone offensive line, and Pregnon is next in line.
It will take another strong showing against a Panthers defensive line that does have some talent, including 2026 second-rounder Lee Hunter from Texas Tech.
