Top 25 Jaguars Countdown: Walker Little Slots In at No. 22

While Walker Little may not be a Week 1 starter, he is a capable tackle who offers the Jaguars versatility in a worst-case scenario.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little (72) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans 34-14. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a little over two months, the Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off the 2024 season in hopes of shedding away the nightmare that was 2023.

In the Jaguars' pursuit of an AFC South title and a spot in the playoffs, the Jaguars will need the core of their roster to help propel them past the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and the rest of the opponents on their schedule.

But who are those players? Which players will be the ones who decide whether the Jaguars find their way back to playoffs?

We will attempt to answer that question in two series. One series will begin in July, while the other will continue until Week 1.

So ... who are the top 25 players on the Jaguars roster ahead of 2024? We break it down below.

No. 22: Walker Little

One of the most debated players on the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster for the last several years has been 2021 second-round pick Walker Little. Little has started games at left tackle and left guard -- and has even played snaps at right tackle -- but has yet to enter a season as a full-time starter, instead sitting behind Cam Robinson at right tackle and Jawaan Taylor and Anton Harrison at right tackle.

"Walker has played well. And Walker's a damn good football player. And, you know, you sit there and you're in my seat. And you say, 'Well, I got three really good tackles.' You know what I mean?" Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher said last month.

"And you sit there and you're in Walker's seat or Cam's seat or Anton's seat and you're like, 'S***, there's three really good tackles here. One of us isn't going to going to be able to play.' But the reality is, they're all going to play at some point, somehow, someway. That is the reality what the NFL is, and we're lucky for that."

Little has started 19 games (17 regular season, two playoffs) in three years, filling in at left tackle for the first month of 2023 and for the final stretch of the 2022 season. Little also spent time at left guard last season.

In the first four games of the 2023 season, Little was tied for No. 6 among 49 tackles with at least 100 snaps in pressures allowed with just five. The only tackles to allow fewer pressures in that span were Trent Brown, Trent Williams, Bernhard Raimann, Tristan Wirfs, and Penei Sewell.

"Walker's got good tape. But at the end of the day, I'm sure he'll be rewarded for what he's put on tape. It's not hard to coach Walker," Rauscher said. "Walker does exactly what you ask him to do and he does really, really well. And I think Walker understands the importance of this season to his personal life, in terms of like, where the contract and different things go."

The question is now what kind of role Little will play in 2024. While he has played three different spots on the offensive line, his best spot has always seemed to be left tackle. At the same time, Cam Robinson has been the Jaguars' Week 1 left tackle in every year but two since he was drafted. Once in 2019 due to injury and last year due to suspension.

"And coach has said this and you know, perception is like you know, the tackle positions are locked up. But like, you know, we're in a spot where like, the depth chart is open, you know, we got to play the best five, however, that plays out," Rauscher said.

"Walker's played a lot of positions for us since he's been here and that maybe hasn't been fair to him, you know what I mean? Like, he's been to guard, he's been to there, he's been to here like, hey, do this, do that. And he's, you know what, every time he's said okay, and he goes, and he does it to the best he can. So now that he can kind of put himself in one spot and let's go. Let's go compete. Let's go see where we're at and see how that plays out."

Our top 25 list so far ...

No. 25: Logan Cooke

No. 24: Ezra Cleveland

No. 23: Roy Robertson-Harris

No. 22: Walker Little

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