In a turn of events that everyone should've seen coming, the Jacksonville Jaguars cut ties with fourth-year center Luke Fortner, trading him to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders just hours after these inter-conference rivals faced off.
Looking back, it's not surprising that the Jags moved on from Fortner, as he struggled when he was the starter back in 2023 and was unremarkable when he stepped into a backup role. With him out of the way, rookie Jonah Monheim is the de facto backup center behind Robert Hainsey.
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Jonah Monehim has done enough to move up the Jaguars depth chart
While it's fair to say that the new regime wasn't high on Luke Fortner, they might not have traded him if they hadn't felt good about Jonah Monheim. Based on his preseason performance, it looks like they have.
A seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Monheim logged 42 offensive snaps in the preseason opener and didn't allow a single pressure. And against the New Orleans Saints, he played 46 snaps.
Now, Monheim won't be starting any time soon, but he certainly has the tools to be a high-end backup and maybe a starting center down the road. USC head coach Lincoln Riley said after the NFL Draft that Jacksonville got a grand slam in the former Trojan, pointing out that he's a heck of a player.
Of course, Riley is biased, but do you think he would be endorsing Monheim if he didn't think he was a stud? The Jaguars must surely believe that's the case. Otherwise, they wouldn't have moved on from Luke Fortner and made him the primary backup at center.
Having said that, Monheim is still a rookie, and he'll need to keep working on his craft if he wants to make a positive impression if he's thrust into action. After all, he was a Day 3 pick for a reason.
Although he had burst and good technique at the collegiate level, Monheim didn't always finish blocks and lacked power. He'll need to hone those areas or find a way to work around them with the Jags.
The good news is that Jonah Monehim showed enough growth the past few months to convince the Jaguars to move on from Luke Fortner. Now, he'll need to prove that they made the right call.
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