Former Gators offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor is contributing to a historic season as part of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As last year's bottom feeder in the NFL, the Jaguars produced a drastic turn from worst to first in the AFC South after starting 3-7 on the season. Winning 6 of their last seven games, the Jaguars became the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game a year after picking first in the NFL Draft. Jacksonville did it two years in a row.
However, the arrival of Doug Pederson has allowed the Jaguars to become an anomaly. Taylor's rise in year four has served as an essential catalyst to the team's success.
As a result, on Thursday, he was announced as the sixth captain for the win-or-go-home Divisional Round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The donning of the captain tag showcases the integral role he's stepped into this season as a bookend at offensive tackle and leader off the field. During the Jaguars' unexpected postseason run, Taylor excelled as a protector for franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
He's allowed just five sacks and drawn seven penalties in 1,095 total snaps during his 2022 campaign, according to Pro Football Focus. The marks rank in the top 30 for offensive tackles, as he's tied-No. 25 in sacks allowed, tied-No. 27 for penalties against and No. 11 for total snaps.
Lawrence has benefitted to showcase the elite-tier skillset that tabbed him as a generational quarterback prospect out of Clemson.
The uptick in production from previous years for Taylor — following worry that the former second-round pick's underperformance was another Jacksonville draft blunder — comes at an opportune time.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the former Florida standout is performing at a career-high level in both facets of the Jaguars' rushing and passing game on the right side of the offensive line. He came into the season with added motivation following the passing of his father, Robert Taylor, and he's delivered for Jacksonville.
The offseason addition of guard Brandon Scherff has paid dividends for Taylor to take the next step. It's setting him up for a sizable payday this offseason, whether that comes from Shad Khan, Trent Baalke and Co. or elsewhere.
Now, as Jacksonville heads into Arrowhead for a week 10 rematch with the Chiefs with an opportunity to play for a Super Bowl berth in the AFC Championship game, Taylor earns the nod as the Jags' sixth captain. That comes after Jacksonville allowed a season-high five sacks to Kansas City earlier in the season.
The Jaguars will have an uphill battle against the top seed in the AFC when the contest kicks off on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EST.
However, if Taylor can set the tone from his right tackle spot when it comes to protecting Lawrence in the pocket — as he has most of the season — to allow him to combat the expected excellence of Patrick Mahomes, the Jaguars could find themselves in this mix of another game as sizable underdogs.
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