The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a daunting loss to the Houston Texans. And while things don't currently look great, their season is far from over. One thing they could do to turn things around is bench underperformers and give playing time to more deserving players. The offensive line, in particular, could use a handful of tweaks.
Although the Jags had one of the best offensive trenches early in the season, the unit has struggled the past two months. Specifically, left tackle Walker Little has left much to be desired, and the Jaguars have several options to replace him. One that isn't discussed nearly enough is plugging in rookie Wyatt Milum at left tackle.
Milum played left tackle at college, but was seen as a candidate to make the transition to guard because he doesn't have ideal arm strength. However, the New England Patriots also have a rookie blindside protector who doesn't have adequate arm strength, and he's doing just fine. Maybe the Jags should follow their blueprint and give Milum a chance.
The Jaguars have to give Milum a chance to show what he can do
There's no way to sugarcoat it: Walker Little has been underwhelming this season. He's already given a career-worst eight sacks and a concerning 36 total pressures in nine games. It's time the Jags bench him and give someone else a chance. They could move Anton Harrison to the left side, but they would then need to replace him as well.
Cole Van Lanen would be the most logical choice to replace Harrison at right tackle if he slid to the left side. However, Jacksonville could keep Harrison on the right side and give Wyatt Milum a chance to protect Trevor Lawrence's blindside.
Milum earned praise from head coach Liam Coen for his feisty play in the preseason. The offensive line could use some of that right now. The former West Virginia Mountaineer had a strong offseason, but suffered a knee injury to forced him to miss the start of the regular season. Although he's back in the fold, he's been a healthy scratch in recent weeks. On top of that, the injury appears to be a nagging issue, as he earned the limited designation on the Injury Report in early November.
But once Milum is healthy, the Jaguars need to try him out at left tackle. Like him, fellow rookie Will Campbell has short arms (by NFL standards) but has still managed to flourish. So far, the former Michigan Wolverine has given up five sacks and 24 total pressures. Not elite numbers by any means, but good enough to be the sixth-highest graded rookie by PFF, and certainly better than Walker Little.
Granted, Campbell was a top 5 selection while Milum was a third-round pick, and isn't nearly as athletic as his New England Patriots counterpart. That said, it's worth giving the latter a chance to showcase what he can do. Keep in mind that he made 35 starts at left tackle and eight on the right edge and held his own.
Ultimately, the Jaguars cannot stay the same and expect different results. That's why giving Wyatt Milum aleft tackle makes sense. At worst, they'll find out that he's better suited to play guard. At best, it could fix some of the O-Line issues they're currently dealing with.