Right tackle Anton Harrison got the spotlight during the offseason program, and not for good reasons. He split first-team reps with free-agent acquisition Chuma Edoga because he wasn't nearly as consistent as the Jacksonville Jaguars would've liked. But despite his struggles, an NFL analyst argues that the third-year pro has the talent to turn the corner and put it all together in 2025.
Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson took a look at all 32 first-round picks in 2023 and mentioned Harrison as a potential breakout player, noting that he was an intriguing talent coming out of college.
"Anton Harrison from the Jacksonville Jaguars, right tackle. I mentioned him as a breakout player a few years ago, a few weeks ago, when we were highlighting breakout players," Palazzolo said (2:10:55 mark). "He was, when I went through his tape, [I] was more impressed with his pass protection than I think I expected. I think he's mostly in good position. Could see him taking a step there."
Palazzolo continued, "The question's been the run game power at the point of attack, but he moves really well, and even in Oklahoma, [he] was always in position to make the block, just didn't always finish.
Monson then argues that there were questions about Harrison's run blocking, but he has so far done well in that area.
"Yeah, so a little bit of a developmental offensive tackle, I guess, which is the bottom of the first round area that we get year on year on year. But the difference between him and some of the other ones is he already had some really high-level pass blocking chops on tape at production that area. And as you said, there was some question marks back, what his run blocking would be in some other areas of his game, but that part of his game was already pretty good, and he's been, he's become a pretty good NFL player, Monson noted."
Palazzolo then states that Harrison has underachieved the past two years but has the talent to develop into a dependable starter.
"Yeah. I mean, he's been a below-average starter, I'd say, through two years, but if he becomes average and above average over the next couple years, I wouldn't be surprised. So that's where I'm at on Anton Harrison,"
The 27th overall pick in 2023, Harrison got off to a slow start to his rookie campaign but finished strong. Expected to make strides in 2024, he instead regressed. While the Washington D.C. native isn't precisely entering a make-or-break season, he needs to show the new regime that he can be counted on.
Anton Harison should be able to come thhrough for the Jaguars
Just recently, offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett noted that Harrison has immense talent but needs to be more consistent. All things considered, that's not what you want to hear about a former first-round pick. Then again, not everything is doom and gloom.
Harrison should benefit greatly from Sarrett's coaching. His predecessor, Phil Rauscher, did a subpar job of preparing his group and didn't do enough to help his players hone their fundamentals. This was reflected in a recent offensive line power ranking. With Sarrett now in the fold, though, the former Oklahoma Sooner has someone who will push him to be better.
It's also worth noting that Chuma Edoga hasn't been anything other than a journeyman throughout his career and probably didn't get first-team reps because he's better. Rather, the coaching staff must've wanted to see how Harrison would respond to having to compete.
Ultimately, Anton Harrison has all the tools to be a mainstay of the Jaguars offensive line. However, he needs to get the most out of every single rep he gets and put it all together. If he does, he'll get attention for the right reasons.
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