Countdown to Jaguars Football: The Most Notable Players to Wear No. 68

Who have been the best No. 68s in Jaguars history? We take a look at the past players to don the uniform to find an answer.

In fewer than 100 days, the Jacksonville Jaguars will return ... at least as things stand today.

While there is still some uncertainty surrounding the start of the NFL season, the league office has made it clear that they are planning to kick the season off on Sept. 10 and then have every other team play on Sept. 13.

By going off that timeline, we are now just 68 days from watching the Jaguars take the field against the Indianapolis Colts for the first regular season game of 2020.

In an effort to countdown to the start of the season, we will now be going from 95 through 1 to determine the best players to don the teal, black, and white for the Jaguars at each specific number.

So when considering each player has worn the No. 68 since Jacksonville's first season in 1995, who has been the most impactful? Since the team's inception, here are the players who have worn the jersey number.

• Andrew Norwell: 2018-2019
• Kelvin Beachum: 2016
• Zane Beadles: 2014-15
• Guy Whimper: 2010-12
• Derrick Fletcher: 2004-05
• Brenden Stai: 2000
• Mark Nori: 1997-98
• Bruce Wilkerson: 1995

With a few names on this list popping out for the wrong reasons, we decided to go through the most notable players to wear No. 68 for the Jaguars as opposed to ranking a top-three. 

So, which No. 68s in team history have had the most history with the team? We examine below.

Jacksonville's current No. 68 is no other than left guard Andrew Norwell, who the Jaguars signed to a mega-deal in 2018. Formerly an All-Pro guard for the Carolina Panthers, Norwell became the league's highest-[aid guard when the Tom Coughlin-led front office signed the former undrafted free agent from Ohio State to a five-year, $66.5 million contract with $30 million guaranteed.

Since then, though, Norwell has failed to live up to his billing as one of the league's top guards. Norwell hasn't been quite as bad as some may be led to believe, but he has also been a far cry from the dominant force he was with the Panthers. Norwell has started 27 games for Jacksonville since signing and has had legitimate flashes of the top-flight play he has shown in the past, but he has also been beaten badly by players who simply are not at his talent level.

“Yeah, I thought that at times, there’s a lot of plays that you like to take back. And I think, especially with the offensive lineman, I’ll talk specifically about Andrew [Norwell], is that when a guy has a bad play, it’s going to be a really bad play. People are going to notice it," head coach Doug Marrone said in October following a particularly poor game from Norwell (ironically vs. the Panthers). 

"They don’t notice all the good [plays] that happen during the game a lot of times. I’ve always said that before. When I was an [offensive] line coach, I used to say all the time, ‘You can dominate someone for 70 plays, but give up three sacks, and it’s the worst game you’ve ever played.’ But in saying that, I think that’s a good illustration of what happened. I think that when you have a bad play, it was a really bad play, and I’m sure Andrew would want it back, like we all would. And there’s other players, too, other linemen, other players on that field that would like to have those plays back.”

Before Norwell, there was Kelvin Beachum, a veteran left tackle the Jaguars saw as the natural replacement for draft bust Luke Joeckel. Beachum only spent one season with Jacksonville though, with the team opting to trade for Branden Albert and draft Cam Robinson in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft to fill the hole at left tackle. 

In all, Beachum played and started in just 15 games for the Jaguars, giving him one sole season as the Jaguars' go-to option at arguably the most important position along the offensive line. 

Another offensive lineman the Jaguars signed as a free agent who had a disappointing tenure was guard Zane Beadles, who the Jaguars signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Denver Broncos in 2014. 

A former Pro Bowler, Beadles signed a five-year, $30 million contract with $13 million guaranteed, making him one of general manager Dave Caldwell's first major free agent signings. Beadles would start all 32 games over the next two seasons, but he was below-average as both a run blocker and pass protector, leading to his tenure in Jacksonville being cut short by several years.