Walker Little under the spotlight as Jaguars trade Cam Robinson to Vikings

The Jacksonville Jaguars are giving offensive tackle Walker Little a prime opportunity. With Cam Robinson joining the Minnesota Vikings, he'll get a chance to showcase his talent and demonstrate he's part of the team's long-term plans. Head coach Doug Pederson is confident he'll deliver.

One day after Jacksonville traded Robinson to the Vikings, Pederson met with the local media and said that he feels good about starting Little at left tackle, pointing out that he's previously come through for the team.

"Feel great about him. Obviously, he's been here, he's worn a lot of hats for us," Pederson said when asked how the team feels about Little. "He's played inside, he's played outside, he's played both tackle spots."

Pederson continued, "I think after the first little bit of the game he's really settled in, did some nice things, and got a lot of confidence moving forward... it's a lot of season left, but I think it's a great opportunity for him to embrace I think it'd be a great question to ask him and see how he feels. But for me, it'd be just a great opportunity."

Little, a second-round pick in 2021, has appeared in 48 games with 18 starts throughout his NFL career. He was seen as a potential top-10 draft pick after an impressive sophomore campaign at Stanford. Unfortunately, the former Cardinal suffered an ACL tear that forced him to miss nearly all of the 2019 season. He then opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Having not played in nearly two years, Little slid to the second round in 2021. Seen as Robinson's heir apparent, he had to wait to get his chance. That said, he delivered whenever he was called upon. The Texas native made his first start of the season against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. This was a bit odd because Robinson had been on concussion protocol but spent the game on the sidelines.

Pederson says that the team's brass felt comfortable rolling with Little in Week 8 after watching him practice with the rest of the offensive line.

"If you remember, he was in the protocol all week. Then, Walker took all the plays, all the snaps during the week, so we felt best for the five offensive linemen, really the eight, that we're gonna dress for that game. Once Cam got cleared, he would go in as the backup tackle for special teams as well."

With Little in as the starter, Cole Van Lanen will be the team's swing tackle for the remainder of the season. A sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers, the former Wisconsin Badger was traded to the Jags in 2022. While he played guard early in his NFL career, he's mostly played right guard in Jacksonville.

Walker Little will have a chance to show he can be the Jaguars left tackle long term

Like Cam Robinson, Walker Little is slated to become a free agent in 2025. This effectively makes the next nine games a trial period for the Jacksonville Jaguars and any potential suitors. Overall, he's struggled at times but has generally fared well. Now that he'll play left tackle full-time, he'll be able to hit his stride and show just how good (or not) he is.

On 75 pass-block snaps, Little has given up five total pressures and one sack. When he started four games in relief of Robinson to start the 2023 season, he also gave one sack and five total pressures on 175 pass-block snaps.

It's also worth noting that the Jags could revamp their front office next year, so there's a chance the next regime may choose to clean house. If that's the case, Walker Little could be gone. Either way, he'll have a prime opportunity to boost his stock. Whether he takes advantage of the opportunity remains to be see, but the team's brass believes he wil. Otherwise, they wouldn't have traded Cam Robinson.

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