The Jacksonville Jaguars are returning all but one of their starters from the 2022 season. The sole departure in the offseason was right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who received a blockbuster deal from the Kansas City Chiefs and was replaced by first-round pick Anton Harrison.
That leaves a team with high expectations relying on a rookie to maintain the right side of the Jaguars’ offensive line. But offensive coordinator Press Taylor likes what he’s seen from Harrison so far.
“The biggest thing expected of him is that he gets better every single day,” Taylor said of Harrison. “You want to continue to push him and continue to see that growth keep going. We don’t expect today where he’s going to be in week one. We want to see a lot of growth in that time, and so far, we’ve seen that day-to-day with him.”
Harrison made 24 starts in his three seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners with 23 on the left side. While coaches have been encouraged by the early signs from Harrison, it’s also tough to have too many takeaways from practices without pads.
“Obviously when you’re in shorts like we’re in, it’s a little harder for the offensive and defensive lines,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Saturday. “I try to control the tempo there and control the pace. I just don’t need a lot of bodies on the ground. There’s a different tempo when the pads come on, we’re okay, let’s go and cut it loose.”
Harrison’s first practice in pads was Tuesday and he’ll (presumably) get his first live snaps next weekend when the Jaguars travel to play the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason opener on Aug. 12.
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