5 intriguing Jaguars position battles to watch during 2022 offseason

Jaguars most intriguing offseason battle No. 5 – Starting right tackle.

The Jaguars needed to revamp their offensive line this offseason, so they drafted interior offensive lineman Luke Fortner and signed right guard Brandon Scherff in free agency. They also gave left tackle Cam Robinson a three-year deal worth $54 million to ensure Trevor Lawrence’s blindside is well-protected.

Ben Bartch will tentatively start at left guard, and Jawaan Taylor will do the same at right tackle. However, he could face some competition from sophomore Walker Little, who showed potential last year. The Jags drafted Little 45th overall last year, so they probably expected him to have a starting role in 2021 but the former Stanford Cardinal had to sit behind Robinson and only saw playing time when Robinson was good to go.

Little gave up two sacks in his first NFL start but allowed none in the next two and could thrive in a featured role. Meanwhile, Taylor hasn’t missed a game since being drafted 35th overall in 2019 and is currently the incumbent to start at right tackle. However, he’s coming off a season in which he surrendered a concerning 12 penalties.

The Jaguars’ brass is high on Taylor and expects him to make strides in 2021. But he will have to look over his shoulder if he doesn’t want to lose his job to Little, who is simply too good to keep riding the bench. The coaching staff must find him a spot to play and right tackle might be the most realistic one in 2022.