3 Jaguars Veterans Who Could Lose Their Starting Jobs in Training Camp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Training camp means jobs being won or lost each year, and that is exactly what several starters are facing for the Jacksonville Jaguars this year.

While there is certainly not an abundance of starting jobs open for the Jaguars entering training camp on Wednesday, there are a few veterans in presumed starting spots who could be at risk of losing the battle to be a first-teamer in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. So, who are they? We break down a few names to watch moving forward below.

OL Patrick Mekari

While it is not even open-and-shut that Patrick Mekari will have to battle for his starting job over the course of camp, it is still hard to ignore the chance that it happens. The Jaguars spent a top-100 pick on Wyatt Milum a year ago, and eventually the Jaguars are going to want to see some kind of return on their investment. Could it be this year?

Milum offers upside, size and explosiveness to the Jaguars, while Mekari is versatile and vastly more experienced. Mekari also has contract size working in his favor after the Jaguars made him their highest-paid free agent in last year's class, though this could also work against him considering his play did not meet their level of investment last season.

Mekari did have to deal with injuries a year ago, but he also had penalty issues and, in large part, was the weak link of the Jaguars' offensive line. He will have to prove he is a different player in camp, or it could quickly become Milum's time to shine.

LB Ventrell Miller

It is not considered a sure-thing that Mekari is going to have to win a battle for his job. For Ventrell Miller, it is not a sure-thing that we can even really consider him a starter right now. While Miller has been the presumed replacement for Devin Lloyd since the former second-team All-Pro linebacker left in free agency, Miller still has to actually win the job in camp.

While Miller will likely take the first-team reps at the weakside linebacker spot to start training camp, he will still have to fend off multiple other options. The Jaguars drafted linebacker Parker Hughes in the seventh-round in April's NFL Draft, while former undrafted linebacker Branson Combs made a big impression over the course of the offseason program. Miller is only an expected starter at this point, but even that could change, too.

DB Eric Murray

Let me preface this by saying I do not expect anyone but Eric Murray and Antonio Johnson to be the Week 1 starters at the safety spots. With that said, it would also likely be unwise for us to just simply rule out the idea that the Jaguars' three young backups at safety could push Murray for his starting role sooner than later.

The Jaguars have spent top-100 picks on the safety position in back-to-back drafts in Caleb Ransaw and Jalen Huskey and, like with Milum, the Jaguars will want to see some return on their investment sooner than later. If Ransaw impresses enough in camp for the Jaguars to need him to stay on the field, it could come at the expense of Murray.

Add us as a preferred source on Google