Scouting Report: Intro to New Jags OL Wyatt Milum

While the Jacksonville Jaguars added several veterans to their offensive line during free-agency, many felt they still needed more additions through the draft. On Day 2, they did just that by selecting West Virginia standout Wyatt Milum with pick No. 89, adding even more competition to the unit that struggled in 2023. 

Milum will enter his career after starting in 43-of-47 games at tackle for the Mountaineers. That includes starting in his last 42 games. As a freshman, he spent his time starting as a right tackle and the rest of his career was spent as a starter at left tackle. Milum had a pretty dominant career while with the Mountaineers and didn’t allow a sack throughout 1,028 pass blocking snaps. In fact, the last time he gave up a sack was in 2022, which means he didn’t allow a single one during his junior and senior seasons. 

During his collegiate career, the Mountaineers didn’t have a lot of issues running the ball and Milum was a key reason. Dating back to 2022, West Virginia rushed for 200 yards or more 18 times and for 300 yards or more six times. He also racked up on several accolades in 2024, including being named to the Associated Press’ All-American team as a second-teamer, the All-Big 12 team as a first-teamer, and being named the Big 12’s Offensive Tackle of the Year.

How does Milum’s addition impact the Jags?

The Jags signed the versatile Patrick Mekari a three-year $37.5 million deal with $20 million guaranteed. While he has the ability to start at any of the five positions on the offensive line, the most logical place for him to start is at right guard. However, there is uncertainty at the left guard position although Ezra Cleveland is penciled in as the guy there. That said, fans should expect the addition of Milum to lead to a much needed competition with Cleveland.

Cleveland finished 2024 with an overall grade of 64.9, according to Pro Football Focus. That was a total that placed him 52nd amongst 136 guards that registered grades in their database. In pass protection, he registered a 67.8 overall grade and a 59.7 (ranked 44th out of 136 guards) as a run blocker (ranked 78th out of 136 guards). Milum registered an overall grade of 91.0, which placed him second in the collegiate ranks amongst offensive tackles with 500 snaps or more. He ranked first in pass blocking with a 92.5 and third in run blocking with an 82.9 amongst tackles with 500 snaps or more.

Milum’s ability to get on the field quickly will be determined by how he performs in training camp. Clearly, he’s been dominant in college, but the NFL presents a whole different level of competition. One reason some feel he was available in the third round is because he reportedly struggled a bit at the Senior Bowl, which could be an indicator that it will take time for him to adapt to the NFL. However, with a new coaching staff in Jacksonville, the ability to develop Milum could be a quicker process than expected. 

Strengths/ Pros

• Plays with a powerful and nasty edge

• Versatile (played OT at West Virginia and moved to OG at Senior Bowl)

• Runs blocks with a low pad level consistently 

• Showcased strong grip when engaged with opponents

• Awareness and high IQ showed up often

• Anchors well to stop a bull rush in its tracks

Weaknesses/ Cons

• Can get off balance during engagement process sometimes

• Sometimes he can overshoot targets on second level/open field

• Heavy feet and lack of quickness showed when playing OT

• On tape he looks like a player with good length, but his arms are short (33-inches)

• Has the tendency to punch high on opponents

• Lunges at opponents occasionally

Highlights of his strengths