JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars made a big mid-season move, electing to trade long-term starting left tackle Cam Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings. Walker Little, suit up!
In Robinson’s stead, Little found himself a permanent home after being relegated to the bench for much of his rookie deal, filling in as needed.
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It was Little’s chance to finally cement himself as the team’s long-term starter at left tackle.
It didn’t take long for the Jaguars staff to take notice, locking Little up to a three-year, $45 million contract. With Little’s extension and Anton Harrison across the line, the Jaguars look to have their bookends for the foreseeable future.
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For his first go as the team’s full-time starting left tackle, Little performed admirably. According to Pro Football Focus, Little allowed 13 pressures on 316 pass-block snaps. That’s good for a 4.1% pressure rate.
Little’s 4.1% pressure rate ranked 18th among 68 qualifying tackles and eighth among those on the left side. In regards to sacks, Little allowed just two on the season. His sack % allowed of 0.63% ranked 27th among those same 68 tackles.
These numbers are marked improvements from his previous seasons as Little allowed a pressure rate of 5.9% in 2023 and 9.6% in 2022. Little’s lack of a true position likely didn’t help his cause.
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Little and next-door neighbor Ezra Cleveland scored as the team’s best run-blockers. Both players fought throughout the season to rank among ESPN Analytics’ Top-10 run-blockers at their given position.
Little finished just off the list for tackles, while Cleveland finished eighth among guards. The analytics world hasn’t caught up with established run-blocking metrics, however, Pro Football Focus graded Little as the Jaguars’ best run-blocker.
Little’s 72.3 run-block grade was 24th among tackles and 13th among left tackles. Harrison, while a stout pass-protector, has struggled as a run-blocker. In his two seasons, Harrison has yet to finish with a run-block grade over 60.0.
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That said, it’s an area Harrison has seen notable growth and the Jaguars hope to see that trend continue. With Head Coach Liam Coen now in the fold, fans should expect improvement not just from Little and Harrison but across the board.
The Jaguars enter the 2025 season with three of their offensive linemen more or less locked in as starters with center and right guard possibly in need of replacement or, at the very least, competition.
Expect Little to take another step forward this coming season. With a full season at left tackle on the horizon, Little could develop into one of the league’s better blind-side protectors and become a leader for this Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive line
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