5 Jacksonville Jaguars who will turn heads at training camp

3. Walker Little – Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne are the most recognizable players of the Jaguars’ 2021 draft class. Both will have an immediate impact but offensive tackle Walker Little also has the talent to play contribute in his rookie campaign.

The Jags applied the franchise tag on Cam Robinson. Nevertheless, they had the chance to take an offensive tackle such as Liam Eichenberg or Teven Jenkins with the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft. Instead, they chose E-T-N and waited until the second round to select Little. At the time, it looked like a questionable decision, as the former Cardinal hasn’t played since 2019, when Stanford took on Northwestern.

In that game, Little suffered a torn ACL that cut his season short. The following year, he opted out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he arrived at Jaguars’ rookie minicamp in great shape and earned praise from head coach Urban Meyer. He also received a positive endorsement from offensive line coach George Warhop, who said he came in as or more prepared than any first- or second-round pick he’s coached. Warhop also said you couldn’t even notice the Texas native hasn’t played in two years and described him as a smooth pass blocker.

Robinson is the starting left tackle but he should be looking over his shoulder. Little has plenty of upside and hasn’t struggled with the transition to the NFL. It’s possible that the coaching staff wants to bring him slowly but he could be ready sooner than expected.