Jaguars Minicamp Preview: Examining Right Tackle Battle
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be entering a key phase in their offseason soon, after weeks of organized team activities where the Jaguars and head coach Doug Pederson have set the stage for 2022 season.
So, what is next?
"We still have this week and next week to wrap things up and still have a lot to get accomplished," Pederson said on Monday.
"For me, it’s obviously number one coming out healthy, no setbacks there, whether it’s a healthy guy now or a guy that’s injured that’s back out practicing with us, and really carrying momentum into training camp. The guys have done an excellent job. We’ve had great attendance as you know, and just sort of keeping that momentum as we sort of wind down here the next couple weeks.”
Among the biggest questions facing the Jaguars entering mandatory minicamp next week is where the team stands at several key positions.
In our lead up to Pederson's first minicamp at the helm of the Jaguars' organization, we will take a look at several of the competitions the Jaguars have at those key spots.
Jaguars Minicamp Preview: Examining Kicker Battle
Next up: the right tackle position, which will have to be sorted out between Jawaan Taylor and Walker Little ahead of Week 1.
The competition
Few position groups have seen as much continuity in Jacksonville as the offensive line. The Jaguars have spent big money and key draft picks on the unit for several years running, even hiring a former offensive lineman and offensive line coach as head coach in former coach Doug Marrone.
The right tackle spot has been one that the Jaguars have been looking for long-term answers at for years now, but one in which they have found some consistency. Jermey Parnell held down the fort at right tackle from 2015 through 2018, and since then the Jaguars have seen only Jawaan Taylor at right tackle.
The offensive line is in flux in Jacksonville for the first time in a few years this offseason, though. The Jaguars already have three Week 1 starters from last year's offensive line who are no longer on the roster, leaving just the tackle spots as potential spots of consistency.
The Jaguars themselves haven't been down on Taylor in terms of public comments, though Pederson said at the league meetings before the draft that the team anticipated a battle between him and 2021 second-round pick Walker Little, who the Jaguars invested the No. 45 overall pick in.
"Yeah, I think, I think he's another big reason why, you know, you keep that offensive line, you know, intact. You have him, you got Cam, and then you have Walker little who is another guy that's going to be able to compete at that tackle spot and/or be able to play both," Pederson said.
"So, you know, as I said earlier, it's hard to find offensive linemen in this league. And when you have a couple guys on your roster, like we do, you try to keep them, you know, and you try to keep them here. I think it's gonna be a really good battle, I think with Jawaan, with Walker, you know, at that position, and, you know, but I love everything that Jawaan has done. There's flashes, there's moments, we just got to get more out of the entire group, right? Not just one player, but get more out of all those guys to be able to perform at a higher level."
The candidates
The Jaguars haven't had many questions in terms of starting right tackle for several years now. Jacksonville made an aggressive move to trade up for Jawaan Taylor in the 2019 NFL Draft, selecting the Florida offensive tackle with the No. 35 overall selection after trading the No. 38 and a fourth-round pick (No. 109) with the Raiders for No. 35, No. 140 and No. 235 overall.
Since then, Taylor has held down the right tackle position in a big way. He had to earn the starting job in training camp as a rookie but did so before Week 1; since then, he has started all 49 games at right tackle and has played 100% of the offensive snaps in each season.
Taylor was the line Jaguars offensive lineman to start every game last season. Since then the Jaguars have given left tackle Cam Robinson a big contract, while left and right guards Andrew Norwell and A.J. Cann left in free agency for Washington and Houston and center Brandon Linder. With a new-look offensive line, a new head coach in Pederson and a new offensive line coach in Phil Rauscher, right tackle has become a position in which a great deal of focus has now been placed upon, especially as Taylor has struggled with penalties in recent years.
Then there is Little, who displayed legitimate starter potential in three starts at left tackle in 2021. Little's strong play in relief of Cam Robinson against the Bills and then the Patriots and Colts in the last two games of the season was enough to inspire confidence in Little as a starter option entering this offseason, especially after he allowed just one pressure in his final two starts last season.
Little likely would have been a high first-round pick if not for circumstances outside of his control at Stanford. He sustained a season-ending injury in 2019 and then the COVID-19 pandemic derailed his final season at Stanford, leading to the Jaguars getting a potential steal at No. 45 overall.
Why minicamp is important
Taylor has seemingly been the Jaguars' first option at right tackle over the last three weeks, getting first-team reps at right tackle before Little and ultimately being the leader in the club house.
The Jaguars are sorting out more than just right tackle, though, which makes this battle all the more important. Little and Taylor have both also taken snaps at left tackle this offseason, making it clear that one of the two will be the team's swing tackle option and Robinson's backup at left tackle. In short, the Jaguars are figuring out two key spots on their depth chart with this decision.
Offensive linemen are tough to judge at this point in the offseason due to a lack of pads and full contact, so don't expect a winner named soon. Still, seeing how the Jaguars rotate each at the two open spots will give us a good idea of the state of the position entering training camp.
