Jaguars' Walker Little decision looks brilliant amid Anton Harrison injury

It's never pleasant to see a player go down with injuries, and there's a chance that the Jacksonville Jaguars will be without left tackle Anton Harrison after he suffered a knee injury in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5.

The injury appeared to be serious, as Harrison was carted off the field. One day after the win, head coach Liam Coen told reporters that the fourth-year offensive lineman underwent an MRI test but has yet to get the results. Either way, Jacksonville is probably bracing for the possibility that he'll miss substantial time.

There's no doubt that the Jags will miss Harrison if he's indeed unavailable for a while. The silver lining is that they have a capable fill-in offensive tackle in Walker Little, who remained in Duval in spite of the trade chatter he was the subject of in the offseason.

Walker Little is the next man up for the Jaguars after Anton Harrison's injury

When Anton Harrison left the Eagles game, Walker Little stepped in at left tackle. He gave up no sacks or pressures on 31 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus. The Jaguars will need him to have that kind of performance moving forward.

And that's the thing, Little was at the center of trade speculation precisely because he was benched in favor of Cole Van Lanen last year. Had the former Stanford Cardinal performed at a high level, he would have kept his job. Either way, the Jags chose to hold on to him in the offseason as insurance because Van Lanen was recovering from a serious injury he suffered late in 2025.

With Van Lanen returning to the starting lineup before the 2026 season began, Little served as the swing tackle behind him and Harrison. With Harrison out for the foreseeable future, Little will have a chance to rebuild his stock.

On a related note, with Harrison stepping in at left tackle, sophomore Wyatt Milum will most likely become the primary backup the remainder of the season.

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The Jaguars will need Walker Little to step up the remainder of the year

Walker Little lined up at left tackle last year, and Cole Van Lanen replaced him. However, Anton Harrison switched sides, so Van Lanen is now playing on the right side. Perhaps the Jaguars will plug in Harrison at right tackle and make Van Lanen Trevor Lawrence's blindside protector.

Either way, losing Harrison, regardless of the amount of time, is a big blow for the Jacksonville offensive line, so it will be up to Little to soften it. If he does, the Houston, Texas native will make everyone forget about his struggles from last year. Moreover, he'll give the team's brass a tough decision.

Releasing Little or trading him after 2026 would help the Jags free up $10.8 million in space, but if he plays well and Harrison is still recovering, they may be inclined to keep him like they did during Van Lanen's rehab this year.

Players are always one injury away from stepping onto the football field, and without Anton Harrison, the Jaguars will need Walker Little to play at a high level to ensure Trevor Lawrence stays protected.

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