3 potential replacements for Jacksonville Jaguars RT Jawaan Taylor in 2023 free agency

No. 2 replacement for Jacksonville Jaguars RT Jawaan Taylor: Kelvin Beachum

Jawaan Taylor will be one of the top right tackle options in the open market if he doesn’t strike a multi-year contract with the Jaguars. You could argue that. Mike McGlinchey (San Francisco 49ers) is better and nobody will bat an eye, but how much better is he? The same is true for Kaleb McGary, who is also coming off a remarkable season.

If the Jaguars can’t afford to pay Taylor, it wouldn’t make sense to pursue either McGlinchey or McGary. Instead, they should turn their attention to Kelvin Beachum, who won’t be nearly as coveted in the open market but is still a more than adequate option at right tackle.

This wouldn’t be Beachum’s first stint in Jacksonville though. A seventh-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012, the former SMU Mustang joined the Jaguars in 2016. He spent the next three seasons with the New York Jets and joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2020.

Beachum played left tackle for the Jaguars but he’s shown he’s better suited to play right tackle. Last season, he allowed five sacks (as many as Taylor) and earned a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 70.6. He’s still going strong and hasn’t shown significant signs of decline at 33.

The only thing in Beachum’s game that could scare away potential suitors is his struggles as a run blocker but Taylor wasn’t particularly great in that area either. Moreover, it wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive for the Jaguars to sign him. He inked a two-year contract worth $4 million in 2021 and should get a similar deal again.