3 offseason decisions the Jacksonville Jaguars nailed in 2023, 2 they should regret
• But they also have a couple misses
• Here are 3 they got right, two that haven't paid off
2. Letting Jawaan Taylor walk, drafting Anton Harrison to replace him
Right Jawaan Taylor needed time to hit his stride in the NFL but he put it all together in 2022. A second-round pick in the 2019 draft, Taylor made 66 consecutive starts for the Jags but he also struggled with penalties and pass protection, which is why he entered the 2022 season having to prove himself. And prove himself he did, giving up just five sacks and 16 total pressures, both career lows.
On top of that, Taylor was flagged a reasonable eight times and played a pivotal role in keeping Trevor Lawrence up right. Knowing they were going to have trouble giving him a top-market contract, the Jags let the former Florida Gator walk in free agency. The Kansas City Chiefs quickly swooped in and gave him a monster contract worth $80 million over four years.
While the Jags had an in-house replacement for Taylor in Walker Little, they opted for the draft route and selected Anton Harrison with the 27th overall pick. Harrison had mostly lined up at left tackle in college but the Jaguars announced not long after picking him that he would be playing on the right side for them.
Harrison has experienced highs and lows throughout the 2023 season, which is expected from a player making the leap to the NFL and switching sides. However, he's arguably faring better than Taylor, who's once again struggling with penalties. The fact that Harrison hasn't reached his ceiling and is in just the first year of his rookie year deal makes him a pretty good acquisition.