The Jacksonville Jaguars gave left tackle Walker Little their vote of confidence when they traded Cam Robinson and later gave him a long-term deal last year. You would think that's enough to make you think he'll be Trevor Lawrence's blindside protector in the foreseeable future, but Tom McManus isn't sold on him just yet.
The Jags made several upgrades to the offensive line in free agency, but McManus would like to see them also address the left tackle spot, arguing that Little should compete for the starting job.
First, McManus posted on Twitter that the left tackle spot isn't currently set in stone, "maybe not even in pencil," and looks forward to seeing what kind of moves Jacksonville makes in the draft.
Jags LT starter isn't set in stone at this time. Maybe not even in pencil. Let's see after the draft too.
— Tom McManus (@meathead55) March 19, 2025
Later, the Jaguars alumni tweeted that he strongly believes the new regime will make the former Stanford Cardinal compete for his job in 2025," Nothing is set yet. He's the old regime's guy. Not necessarily the current one. Gotta earn it. We'll see."
If you don't think they're going to make Walker earn that starting LT spot you're crazy. Or you're guessing. Either way you just don't know. Nothing is set yet. He's the old regime's guy. Not necessarily the current one. Gotta earn it. We'll see.
— Tom McManus (@meathead55) March 19, 2025
This isn't completely farfetched. After all, the new regime hasn't been afraid to cut ties with prominent players. Just ahead of free agency, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, two offensive mainstays, got the boot. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Jags move on from other veterans after the draft, or if they fail to show out in training camp.
Circling back to Little, it wasn't until 2024 that he got the starting job full-time. A second-round pick in 2021, he flashed when he was thrust into action, but didn't seemingly do enough to unseat Robinson in his first three seasons.
In fact, the Jags gave Cam Robinson a three-year deal in 2022 despite the fact that they had Little in the fold. Looking back, it didn't inspire confidence. Then again, that might've been the result of Trent Baalke's questionable roster building rather than an indictment of the Texans native.
Either way, there's a chance Litttle may need to once again compete for his job in 2025.
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How can the Jaguars make Walker Little compete for his job next season?
From an outside perspective, it's truly hard to tell whether the Jacksonville Jaguars will make Walker Little compete for his job. Last season, he gave up a solid two sacks and 13 total pressures. Similarly, he posted a Pro Football Focus run grade of 73.2. Of course, PFF isn't the sole indicator of a player's performance, but he certainly held his own.
The Jaguars signed Chuma Edoga and Fred Johnson in free agency. Both of them can line up at left tackle, but it looks like they were brought in to add depth on the offensive line not compete for a starting job. Having said that, there are ways the Jaguars could add competition at left tackle.
The Jags could target Armand Membou or Will Campbell in the draft. At least one of them should be available at No. 5. They could also address another position in Round 1 and use a second-round pick on Josh Simmons. The point is that the new regime can most definitely look for ways to upgrade the left tackle spot.
The Jaguars have made it abundantly clear that they want to raise the roster floor, so nobody will bat an eye if they want to make Walker Little compete, although there's a chance he won't have to. How the draft unfolds will provide a better picture.