Former Jaguars' Top Pick Found His Footing At the Perfect Time

With Walker Little potentially set to start this week, could he finally find his role in the Jacksonville Jaguars offense?

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little (72) hits a sled during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

With only 10 games left on his rookie deal, there is still a lot to be learned about Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackler Walker Little.

Little has impressed each time he has been thrown into the lineup since he was the team's second-round selection in 2021. He has only started 17 games in his four-year career, but that has been far from a reflection his talent.

In 2022, Little took over for an injured left tackle Cam Robinson and helped stabilize the Jaguars' offensive line during a playoff run. He started the first four games of 2023, too, ensuring the offense didn't sink in Robinson's abscence.

Otherwise, though, Little has had to bide his time. He has never entered a season as a starter other than 2023, and that was due to Robinson being suspended for four games to start the season.

Now, the clock is ticking on Little's time in Jacksonville. He has always had the talent to be the left tackle of the future, but there are few chances left for the Jaguars to commit to him as such.

Whether that changes in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers remains to be seen. Robinson left Week 7 with concussion symptoms, which then led to Little taking the rest of the snaps at left tackle.

Little ended the game with 0 pressures allowed on 20 pass-blocking reps, with Little grading out as the fifth-best offensive tackle in the league in Week 7 per Pro Football Focus.

“I thought he did a good job. Obviously, about the fourth or fifth play, he has to come into the game and play from there. Walker's a pro. That's what I like about him. He comes to work every day, prepares like a starter, and he's always ready, and you never know," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said this week.

"We're blessed to have three or four. If you look at [OL] Cole Van Lanen and the way he played in preseason and [OL] Javon Foster, but we're blessed to have more than two or in this case, three tackles, but he did great. He did a good job, and something that we'll see how Cam does. If we had to go into this game with him at left tackle, we’re obviously more than comfortable doing that and got a lot of confidence in him, and he'll be ready to go either way.”

As Pederson said, the Jaguars don't know if they will have to call on Little again this week. But if they do, history says he will be prepared. And that preparation may be just enough to help him find his role in the Jaguars' offense at last.

“Yeah, I really like the way Walker attacks the week as a professional. I think when we found out that Cam [Robinson] was going down that series that Walker had to come in, just his poise, and the way he carried himself was pretty impressive," Jaguars center Mitch Morse said this week.

"I thought that resonated with the rest of the guys when you see a guy come in that you know has confidence in himself and as well as the game plan and working with each other. That's one less thing you have to worry about. He's a smart football player, he's tough and I thought he played very, very well and helped us kind of progress as the game went on.”

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