‘It’s the Reason We Took Him in the First Round’: Explaining Anton Harrison’s Fit in the Jaguars' Offense

The former University of Oklahoma offensive tackle was the No. 27 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

Regarded by several analysts as the second-best pass protector in the draft behind Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, offensive tackle Anton Harrison is a force along the offensive line.

With the ability to swing between the right and left side, Harrison’s versatility is his calling card and has many excited within the Jaguars organization, including head coach Doug Pederson.

“Have you seen him? It’s the reason we took him in the first round,” Pederson exclaimed. “Everything about him: his skill set, how he fits, how he moves, the transition from right side to left side. His ability to not only pass block but come off the ball and have that mean streak in him as an offensive lineman in the run game. That's what you see with him. That's what we got excited about, obviously.

Coach Rauscher spent some time with him at the Pro Day, the Combine, different places. We felt very comfortable with him. I met him for the first time at the Combine. Had a really good 20-minute interview. It was something that for me, it raised the eyebrows that this is a special young man. It's the reason why we took him in the first round.”

As a culture fit, Pederson gave the 21-year-old an overwhelmingly positive review.

“Again, for me, when I met him for the first time at the Combine, listening to him speak and talk about his teammates, talk about his family, those are the type of men that we want on our football team,” Pederson said. “He checked all those boxes for me.”

The feelings are reciprocal for Jacksonville’s newest offensive lineman, who offered rave reviews on the team culture and product on the field.

“Yeah, so I watched Jacksonville a lot last season,” Harrison said. “I know it’s a young team, exciting team. A lot going for them. I’m excited to be a part of it.

I say I learned a lot just being here, the family environment,” Harrison added. “Everybody loves being here, loves working here. I’m just glad to be here.”