5 Questions with Addicted to Quack: What we learned about Emmanuel Pregnon

The Jacksonville Jaguars left the 2026 NFL Draft with 10 new players, and of that bunch, the most recognizable name is Emmanuel Pregnon.

A former starter at Wyoming and USC, the 6’ 4”, 214lb guard earned first-team All-American honors in 2025 as a member of the college football playoff semifinalist Oregon Ducks.

To get a better understanding of Duval County’s newest lineman, we reached out to Tristan Holmes of Addicted to Quack.

Question 1: What was your initial evaluation of Pregnon when he arrived at Oregon, and how did that change throughout the 2025 season?

Our editor at AtQ, hythloday, did an entire study of Pregnon’s time at Wyoming and USC before he started for Oregon. Of the three transfers the Ducks brought in to start on their line in 2025 he was the one who had, by far, the fewest weaknesses. Based on that, I had high expectations for him when the season started and he still managed to exceed them. The way we grade offensive line play at AtQ, he was the best of Oregon’s starting five by a fair margin. 

Question 2: Does Pregnon have any special traits that could be magnified under the right coaching staff? On the flip side, are there any glaring weaknesses that could be targeted by opposing coaching staffs?

The most outstanding trait Pregnon possesses is that he has no great weaknesses. He has the strength, size, and mobility to play on the interior at a high level. He improved his footwork as a Duck, but that’s something he’ll need to continue to refine as a professional rookie. The one habit to watch out for is that in 2024 at USC and 2025 at Oregon he tended to keep one eye on his left tackle in pass protection and would sometimes leave his assignment to help them if they were in trouble. Given the players he was playing next for the past two years that was understandable, but as a Jaguar he’ll need to trust the professionals next to him to do their jobs and concentrate on his own. 

Question 3: I’ve gotten the sense that Pregnon was drafted later than many anticipated due to concerns regarding playbook comprehension. Is that fair to assume, or does Jacksonville not need to worry about the mental side of his game? 

As a college film reviewer and follower of the Ducks, I saw no evidence that Pregnon had any issues learning the playbook. Our editor (who has over a decade of film review data to work with) has documented  a “transfer portal effect” where an offensive lineman’s error rates (as we track them) increase by about 2% when a player transfer’s college programs and plays immediately. Pregnon’s error rates were below what this model would have predicted after leaving USC, indicating he is actually better than most at picking up new schemes. I’m not familiar with Jacksonville’s offensive scheme and they may have a greater variety of run plays to learn than the Ducks did, but I think Pregnon would be better than a typical rookie picking them up.

Question 4: Is there anything about Pregnon that you believe was under-discussed or under-appreciated during the draft process?

I was a bit surprised he lasted until the third round. I know NFL teams draft offensive linemen more for frame and physical traits than college production. He may not have the athletic ceiling of linemen picked ahead of him, but I’d say his floor is higher than most. I’m not sure many draft analysts realized how good his value was given where the Jaguars were able to get him.

Question 5: Beyond the fact that they’re losing a starting player, what will the 2026 Ducks miss most about Pregnon?

We’ll miss the fact that we never got a second season out of him. Our editor has shown that the “transfer effect” I referenced earlier wears off after a full season with a new team. Had Oregon somehow managed to get Pregnon back in 2024 rather than 2025, he would have been even better last fall. The Ducks have seniors returning at center and right guard who need to become leaders with Pregonon’s experience no longer available. A younger player to step up into Pregnon’s spot. I don’t envy whoever that ends up being – they will be filling in for the best player on the line last year.

Thanks to Tristan for taking the time to answer our questions!

Jaguars fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!