Jacksonville Jaguars center Jonah Monheim (60) runs on the field during an NFL scrimmage event at EverBank Stadium, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jacksonville Jaguars' Rookie Jonah Monheim Impresses In Preseason, Set For Big Role

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI | By Kyron Samuels | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie interior offensive lineman Jonah Monheim appears to have all but secured a spot on the 53-man roster after a stellar preseason campaign, which built upon the work that was put in this offseason. Late on Sunday night, the Jaguars traded their former starting center and former third-round pick Luke Fortner to the New Orleans Saints.

The former USC Trojan mainstay has proven himself to the Jaguars brass to be a player with a valuable skillset, and the move to trade away a veteran stalwart after Monheim’s standout training camp is seemingly confirmation of how impressive he’s been, and the belief the current staff and front office have in Monheim. Nothing is ever guaranteed in the football business, but Monheim has been hard to deny.

Monheim was the only rookie offensive lineman with 35 or more pass protection snaps and zero pressures allowed in the first week of the preseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and followed it up with another stellar outing against the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday. It’s likely no coincidence that as teams head into the end of training camp and start game preparations, the move to trade a veteran away was made.

This April, Monheim became the eighth player overall from the USC Trojans selected by the Jaguars in the NFL Draft. The interior offensive lineman was the first since defensive lineman Jay Tufele, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Monheim has turned heads with his consistency and steadiness far beyond his rookie stature. Now, he’s primed to make the roster and potentially play early.

While Monheim’s rise might be a surprise to the masses, he was always a player that was well-like amongst the draft analyst community and from several front offices, like the Jaguars, who eventually couldn’t pass up the opportunity to draft a player as experienced and talented as Monheim had displayed.

“Versatile offensive lineman with impressive football intelligence and quality pass protection. Monheim has started at guard, tackle, and center, but a lack of functional length narrows the focus on where he could take snaps at the next level. He plays with punch quickness and accurate hands, but will get beaten by longer rushers and a two-gapping nose tackle,” said NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein.

At USC, Monheim appeared in 52 games in his career with a whopping 46 starts, including 18 games at right tackle, 12 games at left tackle, 12 at center, and four appearances at right guard. That versatility was one of the reasons he was touted coming out and has added to his campaign to be on the field as a rookie for a Jaguars team looking to vie for a playoff spot led by Pro Bowl quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

This article first appeared on USC Trojans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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