Before the season, the Jaguars elected to franchise tag former second-round pick, Cam Robinson,to keep some continuity along the offensive front. With the selection of young rookie Trevor Lawrence, a strong and jelled offensive line could help alleviate any additional pressure on the young signal-caller.
In the draft, Urban Meyer and the front office also added tackle Walker Little to help solidify the group’s overall depth and competition during training camp. As it turned out, Robinson and Jawaan Taylor would retain their starting gigs, however, Little would give the team a solid replacement if an injury did occur.
While the tackle positions have been injury-free, the same can not be said for the interior. In back-to-back weeks, the Jaguars have lost both Brandon Linder and Ben Bartch to injury, as well as a Week 4 injury to guard A.J. Cann, which landed him on the injury reserve. While Bartch is likely to return soon, Linder and Cann’s status remain uncertain. Needless to say, some interior depth couldn’t hurt.
One player who could provide tremendous upside and versatility is Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green. This season for the Aggies, Green has logged snaps all over the line as injuries have plagued the team. Green has played 81 snaps at left tackle, 112 at left guard, 106 at right guard, and 142 snaps at right tackle. Simply put, his versatility has been crucial to the Aggies’ success this season.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, Green is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Last season, Green was among the best in the country as the standout guard didn’t allow a single sack in 327 pass-blocking snaps. This season, he looks to only have gotten better.
Green’s blend of size, power, and athleticism is what has scouts salivating, reminiscent of Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson, a player Jaguars fans are all too familiar with. Many in the draft community believe Green has the talent to be a top-10 selection.
Here are some clips showing off just how good this young man can be!
I think I'm starting to fall in love with Kenyon Green (Texas A&M LG 55) pic.twitter.com/fy3cJB59lj
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) June 29, 2021
Kenyon Green (Texas A&M LG 55) just absolutely destroying a dude. đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/0U68ny7aXf
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) June 29, 2021
Texas A&M OG Kenyon Green (@K_Green_01) has the talent to be on the same level as Quenton Nelson. His sophomore film was phenomenal. His combination of play strength and overall athleticism is hard to find. Never gave up pressures and consistently stonewalled defenders. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/u1YaVMuaOB
— Jack Borowsky (@Jack_Borowsky) April 11, 2021
One of my favorite OL I've watched this summer – @AggieFootball's Kenyon Green (no. 55)
Big, strong, athletic and versatile pic.twitter.com/8PbaJDhapU
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) August 16, 2021
When watching Green, his power is easy to notice, as he plows defenders to the second level and bullies defensive linemen. In the run game, Green is no joke. It’s this power that has many believing he can be a Pro Bowl guard at the next level. With his athleticism, however, tackle isn’t off the table either. For his size, Green is a fluid mover and shows that pass sets come naturally to him.
Hopefully, we can see some more of Green at tackle as the season winds down to get a better idea of what sort of player he is. There is little doubt that he has the talent to be a very good guard at the next level. Some out there might believe he could be the solution to left tackle concerns.
Drafting a player with Green’s talent and versatility could only be a great thing for Jacksonville as the team looks for answers this coming offseason as Cam Robinson is set to hit free agency and questions remain at right guard and tackle. Whatever the team decides to do, the line should be a high priority as it might be the single most important factor in a young quarterback’s development and success.