Earlier this year, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to hold a competition at left tackle and make incumbent Walker Little earn the starting job. A handful of analysts thought that was going to be the case, but based on comments from offensive line coach Shaun Sharrett, it's not.
Sharrett had a sitdown with Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL and praised Little, pointing out that he has a blue-collar-like kind of work ethic.
"I see consistency. He's a guy that comes in every day," Sharrett responded when asked what he's seen on Little (5:33 mark). "One of those guys who works his [expletive] off, brings his lunch pail into work. You know, blue-collar guy that works his [expletive] off. And that's the kind of guys that you know that we can lean on in this room and in this organization.
If that's not an endorsement, it's the closest thing to it, and all that chatter about Little having to fend off free-agent acquisition should be put to rest.
Back in the offseason, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports and Tom McManus of 1010XL were among the voices that suggested the Jags could hold a competition to earn the right to protect Trevor Lawrence's blind side. And it made sense.
Little, a second-round pick in the 2021 draft, had played well whenever he was given a chance, but he never truly earned his job and only joined the starting lineup when Cam Robinson was traded at the 2024 deadline. Then again, it's possible that the past regime simply liked Robinson too much and didn't really know what to do with Little.
But even if Little had to compete with Johnson, he would've surely come out on top. After all, Johnson played well in relief of Jordan Mailata during the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl run, but has otherwise been a backup throughout most of his career.
Earlier in the exchange, Sharrett told O'Brien that the offensive tackles are embracing the competition.
"It's really starting to show its head. You know, they can feel the pressure of the other guys, because they're just as good as I would have no problem with one of these guys stepping in and being the starter. But it's good because, like you said, it breeds the competition. It allows these guys to go in there and compete for those jobs,
Rolling with Walker Little will be the right call for the Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars will have at least new starters on the offensive line next season. Robert Hainsey and Patrick Mekhari will replace Mitch Morse and Brandon Scherff at center and right guard, respectively. They could have a third if Wyatt Milum makes a strong impression in training camp. That's why it makes sense to have some continuity at offensive tackle, and Walker Little can provide it.
Heck, Little has always come through when called upon, but the past regime dropped the ball by moving him across the offensive line, having him play guard and compete for the right tackle job. And that's the thing, Little played well enough to keep the job long-term during Cam Robinson's PED suspension. However, he went back to the sidelines when Robinson finished serving the aforementioned suspension.
The good news is that it looks like the new regime isn't taking any chances. Right off the bat, they realized that it wouldn't make sense to have Walker Little compete in training camp. Instead, the Jags are letting him get all the reps with the first team, so he can be ready for the season opener.
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