Trevor Lawrence's blind side protector, Anton Harrison, is done for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. Harrison underwent arthroscopic surgery on Thursday, but during the surgery, doctors discovered he had torn his ACL as well, according to ESPN.
Harrison, 24, hurt his knee in Week 5 during Jacksonville's eventual win over the Eagles in London and was carted off. The Jaguars, who also played in London in Week 6, placed Harrison on IR but were hopeful he'd be able to return at some point this season. Then Thursday's surgery revealed the full scope of the injury.
The No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Harrison moved from right tackle to left tackle this offseason. It had been a bit of an up-and-down year for him in his new spot -- he allowed three sacks and 12 pressures in just five games -- but it's a significant loss for Jacksonville nonetheless.
Veteran swing Walker Little took over for Harrison in Week 5 and started in his stead in Week 6 against the Texans. The good news for Jacksonville is that Little has significant experience (40 career starts) and performed ably -- no sacks, two pressures allowed -- in Week 6 against a ferocious Houston front.
The bad news, outside the obvious bad news that comes with losing a left tackle, is this leaves Jacksonville paper-thin at tackle. Little was the only tackle on the roster outside Harrison and starting right tackle Cole Van Lanen. The Jaguars do have veteran offensive lineman Geron Christian Sr. on the practice squad but could look to make moves ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
Jaguars options
Roll with Walker Little
A second-round pick out of Stanford in 2021, Little has spent his entire career with the Jaguars, and he started at least three games every year from 2021-25. Last year, he started 14 games, including 12 at left tackle. Overall, he allowed 2.9 pressures per game, the second-highest rate among offensive linemen, only behind Tennessee's Dan Moore Jr., and nine sacks, tied for third-most. He also committed seven penalties. By the end of the season, the Jaguars had moved him to right guard and moved Van Lanen to left tackle.
But coach Liam Coen said last week, "I have a lot of confidence" in Little.
"I probably can't overstate how important it is because we really are fortunate to not have to play a backup in a situation when a tackle goes down," Coen said a day later. "I don't look at Walker as a backup tackle or a backup guard."
This -- plus calling up someone from the practice squad -- seems to be the clear solution for now, but if Little struggles, the Jaguars could pursue other options.
Move Cole Van Lanen to left tackle
Van Lanen impressed moving over to left tackle late last season, so much so that he got a three-year, $51 million extension. Should Coen and his staff deem it worth doing again, they already have proof of concept.
The issue, though, is that it would create a hole at right tackle, where Van Lanen has worked the past several months. Little stepped in for some snaps at right tackle in two games this season, but both times were at the end of blowouts. He has never played meaningful right tackle snaps in his NFL career, though the Jaguars clearly trusted him to do so, considering he was their swing tackle prior to Harrison's injury.
Trade for Fred Johnson or Andrew Wylie
Unfortunately for Jacksonville, it's not like capable left tackles are a dime a dozen. However, there are some options potentially available before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
The Commanders and the Eagles are two potential sellers in the lowly NFC East. The Eagles have already traded away Cam Jurgens amid a nightmarish season for the entire organization. Last year, the Jaguars traded Fred Johnson to Philadelphia for a 2026 seventh-round pick. Might they be interested in a reunion?
Andrew Wylie is another name that could be of interest. He has not played meaningful snaps at left tackle, but he has played a ton at right tackle, right guard and left guard. If anything, he could be the Jaguars' swing tackle, the role Little had before Harrison's injury. Wylie has played sparingly this season, though it was at left tackle.
Both Washington and Philadelphia are still in the division race (somehow), but if either decides to sell and Jacksonville decides to buy, both options could make sense. GM James Gladstone made a deal for Jakobi Meyers last year at the deadline and a blockbuster for Travis Hunter during last year's draft. If there's anyone who will go hard after making his team better, it's him.
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