Why the Jaguars Drafted West Virginia's Wyatt Milum

Why did the Jacksonville Jaguars draft Wyatt Milum on Friday?

Oct 22, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers offensive tackle Wyatt Milum (65) prepares to block against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, the 2025 offseason meant plenty of change.

Amongst the biggest changes have come along the offensive line. After signing four veteran offensive linemen in free agency, the Jaguars invested another asset into the unit by selecting West Virgina offensive lineman Wyatt Milum with the No. 88 pick.

Expected to play guard early in his NFL career, Milum was a college left tackle who has plenty of experience under his belt. His inside/out versatility, leadership, and number of starts all make him appear to be just the kind of prospect the new Jaguars' regime will covet.

For Milum specifically, it took the West Virginia cornerstone attending the Senior Bowl and displaying his versatility for his true value to really come into focus.

"What we saw with Wyatt was a move inside at the Senior Bowl. The chance to showcase his versatility and not just play on the outside, and another element to Wyatt, I mean, blocking people is there are similarities regardless of if you're inside or outside, but obviously there are different nuances to it," Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said on Friday.

"He's matched up with a lot of really high-caliber rushers over the course of his career, whether you go back to [New York Jets DE] Will McDonald or even at Kansas State with the rusher that went to Kansas City and then, yeah, and then Abdul [Penn State DE Abdul Carter] this past year. I mean, those were high-capacity rushers, and he showcased a really calm demeanor and poise in pass protection, but also a rough and rugged finish. I mean, that was a cool combination that really jumped out to us and look forward to him being able to provide us with some version of versatility but also start with the idea that the interiors will, where he'll spend most of his time off the jump.”

For a Jaguars team that wanted to ensure their past offensive line issues would never pop up again, Milum is the latest example toward a change in philosophy. And from the looks of it, he may not even end up being the last, either.

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