Anton Harrison was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. He was drafted to help give Trevor Lawrence some protection, and they’ll get it with his size, athleticism, and technique at offensive tackle.
He was the fifth first-round pick over the last six seasons for the Sooners and the first Sooner taken by Jacksonville since the Jaguars selected Dede Westbrook in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Harrison adds to a growing list of offensive linemen from Oklahoma selected in the first round, joining [autotag]Trent Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Lane Johnson[/autotag]. Johnson was Oklahoma’s last first-round offensive lineman selected in the first round back in 2013.
Williams and Johnson are among the very best offensive tackles in the NFL. It’s been a strong couple of seasons for the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive linemen at the NFL level. Creed Humphrey has become arguably the best center in the league, and Orlando Brown just got paid a handsome contract to move from Kansas City to Cincinnati to protect Joe Burrow.
Humphrey and Brown were both disciples of offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, but neither was a first-round draft pick. That is where Harrison sets himself apart. He’s another notch in the cap for Bedenbaugh, who’s had 10 offensive linemen get drafted during his nine years in Norman.
Harrison is the first selection in the first round of the draft since 2020 when Ceedee Lamb and Kenneth Murray were taken by the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Harrison had a monster career at Oklahoma and was one of the best offensive tackles in the draft overall. In 2022, he had a career, allowing just one sack and helped pave the way for Eric Gray to put together a career year of his own. Harrison was named to the Big 12 first team by both the coaches and the Associated Press.
One of the biggest things that stands out for Harrison is the sheer amount of power that he can exert in tandem with his size and athleticism.
Oklahoma has become synonymous with fantastic offensive line play during Bedenbaugh’s time in Norman. Harrison was a huge part of Oklahoma’s offensive success over the last three seasons. His ability, work ethic, and leadership paved the way for the Sooners to continue to have offensive success after the change in systems in the 2022 offseason.
Now off to the NFL, Harrison will look to build upon what he did at the collegiate level. Given his athletic profile and his work ethic, we’re looking at the next highly regarded offensive lineman to come out of the University of Oklahoma.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1366]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jake on Twitter @jake_faigus