The Jacksonville Jaguars knew that left tackle Anton Harrison was going to miss substantial time after he suffered a knee injury in Week 5. The best-case scenario was that he was going to return later this year, but that won't be the case after an arthroscopic procedure revealed that the injury is more severe than originally expected.
The arthroscopic surgery revealed that Harrison sustained an ACL tear and will miss the remainder of the season. Losing him will be a massive blow, but the good news is that Jacksonville has a more than capable replacement in Walker Little, who'll become Trevor Lawrence's blindside protector the rest of the way.
The Jaguars willl thurst Walker Little at left tackle (again)
Walker Little has been onboard with the Jaguars since they made him a second-round pick in the 2021 draft. After flashing early in his career, he became the left tackle full-time in 2024 once Jacksonville traded Cam Robinson.
Not long after, Little got a three-year deal worth $40. 5 million that ensured he would remain in Duval beyond 2024. However, he struggled in 2025 and was benched in favor of Cole Van Lanen late in the season.
But despite his underwhelming 2025 campaign, the Jags held onto Little as insurance because Van Lanen suffered a serious knee injury late in 2025. Van Lanen ended up returning but moved to the right side to pave the way for Anton Harrison at left tackle.
Now that Harrison is out for the year, Little is the next man up, and based on a small sample, there's a reason for optimism. Against the Texans in Week 6, the former Stanford Cardinal gave up two pressures but no sacks. That's a solid performance when you take into account that he had to face Danielle Hunter throughout most of the game.
If Little can keep playing at that level, Trevor Lawrence will have enough time to throw, at least when opposing teams rush his left side.
You may also like: 5 surprises giving Jags fans reason for optimism at the BYE
Walker Little could force his way into the Jaguars' future plans
Even though Walker Little struggled in 2025, he became the subject of trade rumors in the offseason because the supply of left tackles in the NFL outweighs the demand. Not only that, his future in Duval was in doubt because the Jags could free up as much as $13 million if they moved on from him. Heck, they could release him in 2027 and still free up a bit over $10 million. However, the Houston, Texas native will get a chance to rebuild his stock and force himself into the team's plans.
Before 2025, Little flashed potential. On top of that, he's shown the versatility to line up at different positions across the line of scrimmage, including both guard spots and right tackle. Now, No. 72 will have a prime opportunity to prove that last year was an outlier.
Ideally, Walker Little wouldn't have a chance to prove himself because Anton Harrison is out for the year, but that's the nature of football. And with a golden opportunity to show his value, he could end up giving the Jaguars a good problem in 2027.
Add us as a preferred source on Google