Jacksonville Jaguars win 1st round of 2023 NFL Draft again in B/R's do-over

The Jacksonville Jaguars made 13 picks in the 2023 draft but most of them didn't have an impact last year. There are a few exceptions though, including right tackle Anton Harrison, who was able to contribute right out of the gate. Dave Kenyon of Bleacher Report was pleased enough with Harrison's performance that he didn't change the Jags' first-round pick in his latest re-do.

Kenyon did a do-over of the first round in last year's draft and had the Jags selecting Harrison again, noting that guard O'Cyrus Torrence would've also been a solid choice but Harrison ended up living up to expectations.

"Perhaps the Jaguars would consider O'Cyrus Torrence to bolster the interior of the offensive line, but Anton Harrison locked down an edge. As with most rookies, he encountered a tough early learning curve. Harrison made a mid-season leap and put himself in the conversation to start at left tackle in 2024 if Jacksonville moves on from Cam Robinson."

Mostly a left tackle in college, Harrison switched to the right side last season. Although he had a few rough outings — the Kansas City Chiefs game comes to mind — he progressively got better. The former Oklahoma Sooner held his own against some of the top pass rushers in the league, giving up more than two pressures only to T.J. Watt, Nick Bosa, and Chris Jones.

By the end of the year, Harrison had established as a mainstay of the offensive line. Of the five sacks he surrendered, none of them came in the last eight weeks. The fact that he played through a shoulder injury in 2023 makes his success even more impressive.

Surprisingly, the Jaguars weren't the only team that kept their original pick in the do-over. Most of the clubs that selected an offensive lineman drafted the same player again. Paris Johnson, Peter Skoronski, Brodrick Jones, and Darnell Wright all went to the teams that drafted them. Dawand Jones, who fell to the fourth round, also landed with the New York Jets at No. 15.

That's how good the offensive line class was last year. Other teams that kept their original selections were the Detroit Lions (Jahymr Gibbs), the Atlanta Falcons (Bijan Robinson), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Caliah Kancey), and the Buffalo Bills (Dalton Kincaid).

Jaguars RT Anton Harrison was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing year

The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to make the playoffs and seize the AFC South in 2023. But there were most definitely a handful of bright spots. Anton Harrison was one of them. Heck, letting Jawaan Taylor walk in free agency and drafting him 27th overall to replace him was one of the best moves the team's brass made last offseason.

Given that there's a realistic chance that the Jaguars will part ways with Cam Robinson to get cap relief, general manager Trent Baalke won't rule out moving Harrison to left tackle, his more natural position. Then again, another year lining up on the right side could help Harrison reach his ceiling. In the end, though, the team has options at left tackle, and Harrison played well enough as a rookie that he's a viable one.

If the Jacksonville Jaguars want to bounce back in 2024, they'll need to make upgrades to the offensive line. While the group as a whole could look considerably different next season, the one constant will be Anton Harrison, regardless of where he lines up.

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