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:
I watched Kentucky Darian Kinnard's film about 3 weeks ago for @Patricia_Traina and came away impressed with center Luke Fortner
He's not being discussed much, but he's an interior offensive lineman that is worth a look after the second round pic.twitter.com/LNGkVr9jET
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) February 3, 2022
