Tag: luke fortner

3 things to know about Jacksonville Jaguars center Luke Fortner

Here are three things to know about Jaguars center Luke Fortner who they selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted a replacement for former starting center Brandon Linder during the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft when they selected Kentucky center Luke Fortner with the 65th overall pick.

Fortner is a solid candidate to replace Linder. In his final season with the Wildcats, he made the switch from right guard to center. Fortner was a Campbell Trophy semifinalist, which is given to the player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. He was also named to the Rimington Trophy Watchlist given to the nation’s top center.

Of course, the starting job at center won’t be handed to Fortner but he is the favorite. His main competition is 2021 backup center Tyler Shatley who Jacksonville re-signed this offseason.

Here are three other things to know about Fortner.

Podcast: Reviewing Jags’ 2022 draft class

On the latest episode of the @TDJaguarsPod, the crew reviewed the rest of the Jaguars 2022 draft class after previously looking at their Day 1 moves.

The highly anticipated 2022 NFL Draft has concluded for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the other 31 teams in the NFL. The Jags exited the annual event with seven selections, most of which were on the defensive side.

After reviewing the Jags’ Day 1 moves in the last episode of “Touchdown Jaguars!” Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I looked at the rest of the draft class in Episode 10. We also discussed the notable undrafted players they were able to add.

While looking into the decisions the Jags made on Day 2-3, we specifically discussed why the Jags added two cornerbacks (Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior) at the end of the draft, why the Jags selected Chad Muma after selecting Devin Lloyd, and much more.

To listen to the full episode, hit play below:

 

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

Poll: Who was the Jaguars fans’ favorite pick from the 2022 NFL Draft?

The Jacksonville Jaguars made seven total picks in the 2022 NFL draft. Who was the fans’ favorite selection from the draft?

The Jacksonville Jaguars made seven total selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. They addressed some needs, but with most of their early selections, they chose the best player on their board. With the draft concluding over a week ago, we wanted to poll the fans on who their favorite selection was from the draft.

The four choices we’ll include are No. 1 pick Travon Walker, as well as the three picks the Jags made after him in Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd, Kentucky center Luke Fortner, and Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma.

Walker will likely be the choice for many, but Lloyd and Fortner deserve some votes, too.

Jacksonville traded back into the first round to get Lloyd. He was a stud with the Utes. He collected 111 total tackles with 22 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, four interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble in his final season in Utah. His numbers in 2021 prove that he is the total package as a linebacker.

It’s hard to get excited about a center, but Fortner is likely the replacement for former starter Brandon Linder. Many draft analysts raved about his IQ and character. He was an excellent leader for the Wildcats the past few seasons.

Who was Jaguars fans’ favorite pick in the 2022 NFL Draft?

[polldaddy poll=11110168]

Kentucky OL Luke Fortner says Jaguars want him to cross train to play center, LG and RG

Center Luke Fortner said the Jacksonville Jaguars want him to cross-train at the center and both guard positions on 1010XL.

Out of the seven players the Jacksonville Jaguars took in the 2022 NFL Draft, two of them majored in engineering. Kentucky center Luke Fortner studied aerospace engineering, and Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma majored in mechanical engineering.

Fortner joined XL Primetime on 1010XL on Wednesday to talk about how he juggled football with academics while also discussing how the Jaguars want to use him.

“I probably let a little too much of football slip early in my career and focused a little too much on school,” he said. “So toward the end here, I kind of went back to focusing on football. Now I have my aerospace degree, and I’m OK at football.”

Fortner didn’t start getting much playing time at Kentucky until his sophomore season.

He said later in the interview that general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson wants him to cross-train and be able to play both guard spots and center.

“They just want a guy who can come in and be consistent across the board and play three positions inside there,” Fortner said about what the Jaguars want from him. “Just bring consistency to the offensive line and hopefully help and protect Trevor Lawrence back there.”

It would be quite a luxury for Jacksonville if it could have two offensive linemen in Fortner and Tyler Shatley, who can play at either guard spot or center in 2022. However, as a starter, it feels like Fortner can be the player that Brandon Linder was at center, while also being able to change positions if an injury occurs at another interior position.

Jaguars reveal jersey numbers for their 2022 rookie selections

The Jags have revealed the jersey numbers for their seven 2022 NFL Draft selections.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made seven selections in the draft last week, starting with notables Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd in Round 1. On Tuesday, the team revealed the numbers for each of those picks and some of the numbers are ones that fans are very familiar with.

Starting with Walker, he will be wearing the number many expected, and that’s No. 44. It was the number he wore at Georgia, and it’s also the number that was on the jersey he took pictures with at his introductory press conference. The number is one very familiar to Jags fans because it was one that former linebacker Myles Jack wore from the time he was drafted in 2016 until his release this offseason.

The Number Lloyd will wear is 33. That’s the number that was once worn by Jags greats and running backs Greg Jones and James Stewart. In college, Lloyd wore No. 0, but that’s a restricted number in the NFL.

As for the Day 2 picks, offensive lineman Luke Fortner will wear No. 79, which was his number with the Kentucky Wildcats. Linebacker Chad Muma will also wear his college  number from his days at Wyoming, which is the No. 48.

Then when it comes to the Day 3 picks, running back Snoop Conner took his number from Ole Miss (24). Cornerback Gregory Junior will wear the No. 30, although he wore No. 27 in college, while fellow cornerback Montaric Brown will wear No. 30, instead of No. 21 like he wore with Arkansas.

Introducing the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2022 NFL Draft class

The 2022 NFL Draft has concluded and here is the #Jaguars’ full seven-player class and some notable info on each selection.

The 2022 NFL Draft has come and gone for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the league’s other 31 teams, and now each organization can focus on the upcoming NFL season. The Jags had the first pick of the whole process along with 11 other picks, which tied them with the Kansas City Chiefs for the most picks in the whole event.

With 12 total picks, the Jags were a busy team and made three trades along the way. That left them with seven selections when the draft ended, most of which were to help on the defensive side.

Now, with the whole draft process, let’s go back and review every pick from No. 1 selection Travon Walker to the Jags’ last pick Montaric Brown.

Highlights of new Jags OL Luke Fortner

The Jags bolstered the unit in front of Trevor Lawrence with the addition of Luke Fortner Friday and here are some highlights of the former Kentucky Wildcat.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make a selection in the second round after trading pick No. 33 to move up and take linebacker Devin Lloyd at pick No. 27. However, with the first pick of the third-round they continued where they left off and decided to get some help on offense with Kentucky lineman Luke Fortner.

Fortner, 23, will join the Jags after becoming a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2021. Overall, he played in 55 games over the span of five seasons with the Wildcats, so he has plenty of experience against some of the best players in college football as an SEC standout.

Fortner is a versatile player who could play guard or center for the Jags. He took 1,181 snaps at guard and 848 snaps at center while at Kentucky, with center being the most recent position he’s played.

Fortner has been praised for being a smart player, playing with good body control and balance, and he brings good leadership skills to the table. Those are all traits that could help the team and get him into the starting lineup in front of Trevor Lawrence.

Here are some highlights of Fortner for Jags fans to check out:

Instant analysis: Jaguars take Kentucky OL Luke Fortner with No. 65 overall selection of 2022 NFL Draft

Here are Jaguars Wire’s initial thoughts about the Jaguars picking Kentucky OL Luke Fortner with their first third-round pick.

The Jacksonville Jaguars started to address some needs on the offensive side of the ball in the third round after using their two Day 1 picks on defense. They selected Kentucky center Luke Fortner with the 65th overall pick on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL draft. Here is Jaguars Wire’s instant analysis of the pick:

General manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson made an excellent decision to beef up Jacksonville’s offensive line. Second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence is entering a pivotal point in his development, and the Jaguars needed to find a replacement for former starting center Brandon Linder, who retired earlier this offseason.

Fortner played in 55 career games, including 36 consecutive starts with the Wildcats. Kentucky also named him a team captain, and NFL.com says he has outstanding character, leadership, and intelligence. They also complimented the way he can fit blocks with good bend and hand placement. However, Fortner can still improve in pass protection. He’s also a nice addition because he can play guard or center.

He should immediately slot in as a starter at the center or left guard position. It’s not clear what position the Jaguars plan to use him in because they also have an offensive lineman in Tyler Shatley, who can play either position, too.

Overall, though, Jaguars fans should be thrilled that Baalke and Pederson went with an offensive lineman with their first third-round pick.

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

2022 NFL Draft: Jags select Kentucky OL Luke Fortner with No. 65 overall selection

Jaguars fans have been wanting an offensive lineman in this weeks draft and got a versatile one in Kentucky OL Luke Fortner.

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded the top pick of Day 2 (along with picks No. 106 and No. 180) to come up and select Devin Lloyd with the 27th overall pick. As a result, their fans had to sit through the whole second round as the team didn’t trade back up as they did on Day 1.

However, when they did return to the podium for pick No. 65, the team bolstered a unit many fans were hoping they would. That unit was the offensive line as the team selected Kentucky offensive lineman Luke Fortner.

Fortner gives the Jags a versatile interior offensive line option who can play both guard and center like Tyler Shatley. He took 1,181 snaps at guard and 848 snaps at center, with the latter position being the one he’s played most recently.

With Fortner and Shatley being as versatile as they are, they give the Jags flexibility of who their starters could be at the center and left guard spots. Ben Bartch can’t be ruled out either as the starting guard opposite Brandon Scherff.

The selection of Fortner is a wise one when considering Scherff’s injury history, too. While the veteran is one of the best guards in football, he hasn’t played more than 13 games in the last four seasons.

In NFL.com’s scouting report, they praised Fortner for his snap-to-step quickness, his hand placement, and body control, to name a few positives. As for the cons, they stated that he needs to work on not oversetting himself and his hand discipline could use some work, too.

2022 NFL draft: The best players left after the first round

From Malik Willis to Jaquan Brisker, here are the best players left on the boards after the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Players who have to wait around after the first round to hear their names called in the draft are by no means limited in their NFL potential. Since 2000 alone, the list of second- and third-rounders reads like a Hall of Fame buffet years from now: Drew Brees, Bobby Wagner, Steve Smith Sr., Andrew Whitworth, Marshal Yanda, Rob Gronkowski, Lavonte David, and on and on.

Take the view back a few decades, and you’ll see second- and third-rounders like Joe Montana, Dan Fouts, Mike Singletary, Michael Strahan, Ken Anderson, Terrell Owens, Aeneas Williams, Thurman Thomas, Kevin Mawae, Brian Dawkins, Larry Allen, and Mel Blount.

Those are all Hall of Famers, except for Ken Anderson, who should be.

The point is, there’s just about as much of a hit rate in the second and third rounds as there is a bust rate in the later rounds. So, when we get to the players who didn’t hear their names in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, it doesn’t mean at all that these guys won’t be NFL stars — in fact, there’s no barrier to future stardom at all.

Based on our evaluations here at Touchdown Wire, here are the best prospects left on the board after the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.