Jaguars' New Blindside Protector Is Playing Himself Into a Future Role

The Jacksonville Jaguars should think long and hard about keeping left tackle Walker Little in place after this season.

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little (72) during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a long, seemingly never-ending series of questions facing them ahead of the 2025 offseason.

Will Jaguars owner Shad Khan make a change with head coach Doug Pederson or general manager Trent Baalke? Will the Jaguars bring Bill Belichick on board? Who would the Jaguars take with the potential No. 1 pick?

With such questions facing the franchise, it is understandable if other, smaller questions go by the wayside for now. Among those questions? Who will be the starting left tackle in 2025.

The Jaguars entered the season with two tackles on expiring contracts in Walker Little and Cam Robinson. It always seemed unlikely Robinson would return in 2025 for a variety of reasons, and the Jaguars sealed this fate when they traded Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8.

That decision left Little at the Jaguars' left tackle position for the rest of the 2024 season. Regardless of whether Baalke and Pederson returned, the second-half of the 2024 season would give Little a chance to audition for a starting left tackle role. That role could be in Jacksonville, or it could be elsewhere.

And in four starts so far, Little has made quite the impression in the starting role. According to Pro Football Focus, Little has allowed just six pressures in the four starts. This includes back-to-back weeks with zero pressures allowed by Little despite facing top defenses in the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions.

In short, Little has played as well as could be expected in his fourth year as a pro. He has held down the left tackle in solid form like this on multiple other occasions as well, making this the latest in a long line of impressive stretches for the former swing tackle.

"I mean, it definitely helps, you know, have a longer time to start, instead of just obviously filling in and going back to a backup role. So it's been going well, just trying to get in the groove of things. And you know, hopefully we can get this offense going," Little told me earlier this month.

Little has certainly done his part to give himself a chance to be the Jaguars' long-term answer at tackle. If the decision-makers in 2025 determine he should be back, it will be because of this stretch.

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