Liam Coen reveals secret behind Walker Little's Jaguars career resurgence

You can never tell when your favorite team is in the middle of a Super Bowl run while it's happening. However, there are always some signs. And when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Walker Little's recent emergence as one of the best left tackles in pro football could be one of them.

After Anton Harrison was lost for the season due to injury, it felt like the Jags' second season under Liam Coen was headed for disaster. Along with Harrison already filling a critical position of need in a contract year, Cole Van Lanen was struggling as he was still getting back in shape after a freak injury.

Jags fans had to hope that Little could do his part as a stopgap solution while the team considered other options before the trade deadline. Then, something crazy happened.

Walker Little got good. Really good.

Little's surprising rise on the blindside isn't an overnight success by any means

Before this season, Little was falling in and out of the starting lineup because of a mix of regime changes, benchings for performance, and the arrival of new linemen who were flat-out better than him.

He could have asked for a trade after being let down so many times, but something's always kept the 2021 second-round pick in Duval one way or another. Thank goodness for that, because he's currently the sixth-best offensive tackle in the NFL, according to PFF.

While giving his own theory on Little's recent resurgence, Coach Coen said the following

"The experience always helps. Confidence is a heck of a thing. I think he’s the one that said it in an interview that humility helped where he became our swing tackle, and all that guy has done is just stay the course.

Coen continued, "[Walker’s] just very steady. I really like Walker’s play demeanor, his the look in his eye recently, and not taking everything so seriously. He’s able to have fun with it. He’s out there playing a game that he loves and competes with, but he’s playing at a high level right now. He’s got confidence, and you can tell."

Walker Little's growth as a mentor has been on display as well

It's good to know that Little's perseverance helped him develop the solid veteran that he is today. Interestingly enough, the Stanford alum hasn't been stingy with the knowledge he's acquired since coming to the Bold City; as he's been using the wisdom he's gained over time to make a teammate's transition to the pros a bit easier.

In the same breath, Liam Coen revealed that Little's helped Emmanuel Pregnon adapt to the chaos that happens in the NFL's trenches. While elaborating, Jacksonville's Ol' Ball Coach said:

"It’s good for Emmanuel to be next to Walker and not feel like every play is fourth and one, right? We want to execute, but man, it’s okay [to say] ‘Hey, mistakes happen, and things occur.’ I think that’s what’s been fun about seeing Walker step in [and show] the next-play mindset that he’s playing with.”

That kind of leadership is the stabilizing force a team needs to overcome adversity and keep their mind on the task at hand. You can't play in the Super Bowl if you don't win the AFC Championship Game, but you can't even make the dance if you don't take care the next few games in front of you.

If Little keeps this up, he'll be giving the Jaguars a critical weapon that can help them answer the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs' ferocious defenses in the postseason.

In the end, I'm sure Liam Coen didn't think his answer to the team's hole at left tackle was wearing No. 72 during training camp. However, It's pretty obvious why he isn't complaining about how things have played out. It's not like anyone else can say they had an elite blindside protector sitting on the bench.

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