3 breakout candidates for the Jaguars in the 2023 season

No. 1 Jaguars candidate to break out in 2023: Walker Little, OT

Offensive tackle Walker Little was on his way to becoming a surefire top-10 pick in the 2020 draft but a torn ACL in the 2019 season had a huge impact on his draft stock. He returned to Stanford in 2020 but ended up opting out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Heading into the 2021 draft, Little was fully healthy but hadn't played football in more than a year, which might be why he slid to the second round.

You already know how things played out but just in case, the Jags ended up drafting Little 45th overall despite the fact that they had just used the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson. Little spent most of his rookie year on the sidelines but he ended up starting three games. Even though he struggled in the first one, he played pretty well in the next two, giving up just one total pressure on 70 pass-blocking snaps.

Despite the fact that Little showed promise in 2021, the Jaguars gave Robinson a long-term deal last offseason. With Robinson firmly entrenched at left tackle, Little challenged Jawaan Taylor in training camp for the starting job on the right side. Little ultimately lost the competition but ended up taking Robinson's spot in the lineup when he suffered a meniscus injury late in the season.

Little went on to make five starts (three in the playoffs) and he'll now be given the chance to seize the starting job at left tackle while Robinson serves a suspension for violations to the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Over the last two seasons, Little has shown a small sample of what he's capable of doing. He's now ready to break out and embrace the spotlight.

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