5 contract extension candidates the Jaguars must lock up now

No. 3 Jaguars contract extension candidate: Jawaan Taylor, RT

There are several Jaguars that had underwhelming performances last year. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor was one of them. The former Florida Gator had to compete with Walter Little to keep his job and while he successfully fend off the sophomore, he was at serious risk of starting the 2022 season on the bench.

Looking back, maybe that’s what Taylor needed, competition and pressure to execute. A second-round selection in 2019, he flashed as a rookie but regressed the last two years and struggled with penalties throughout his career, racking up 32 over the last three years.

But it looks like Taylor has turned the corner. He hasn’t allowed a single pressure this season and hasn’t been flagged a single time. He will probably surrender a few in the upcoming weeks but unless he takes a massive step back, it looks like the Jaguars won’t have to worry about the right edge of the offensive line for the remainder of the year.

Once the 2022 season is over, the Jaguars will need to decide what to do. Taylor is set to become a free agent next offseason, but the team’s brass could easily let him walk away and plug in Little at right tackle. The former Stanford Cardinal has tremendous upside and did good things in training camp. On the other hand, the Jaguars could sign Taylor right now and trade Little to a team in need of help at either tackle spot.