5 Jaguars who need more playing time for the remainder of 2021

Jaguars player who should play more in 2021 No. 4 – Walker Little

Andre Cisco isn’t the only rookie that hasn’t seen the field much for the Jaguars. Offensive tackle Walker Little just made the first start of his NFL career but before that, he had barely seen the field. He was inactive the first two games of the season and later landed on the COVID-19/Injury Reserve list.

Little’s first game in the NFL was against the Miami Dolphins in Week 6 and only had one offensive snap. If Cam Robinson hadn’t hurt his back in Week 9, the rookie offensive tackle wouldn’t have played, which is kind of puzzling when you take into account that he was an early-round pick in the 2021 draft and high selections are expected to contribute right away.

It’s possible that Jacksonville’s coaching staff didn’t want to rush Little into action and may want to wait until next year to plug him into the lineup when Robinson becomes a free agent. Although that approach kind of makes sense, the Jags run the risk of not knowing if Little can be a starting left tackle. Sure, they have seen him practice and have an idea but it’s not the same as giving him playing time on game day.

Now, the Jaguars can’t simply bench Robinson. He would either have to struggle badly, which isn’t likely or miss time with injuries. Otherwise, it may not be in the teams’ best interest to give Little playing time just to see how he performs. Maybe the Jaguars can find a way to give Little playing down the road but they need to know if he is or can become the long-term answer at left tackle.