Jaguars' Looking For Right Mix at Key Position

The Jacksonville Jaguars threw an interesting wrinkle out with the first-team offense during Friday's stadium scrimmage: Anton Harrison at left tackle.

On the third drive of the scrimmage, Harrison entered at left tackle with the starting offensive and backup left tackle Fred Johnson played right tackle.

It does not look like it means a move to the left side is in cards in the near future for Harrison, but Jaguars head coach Liam Coen did offer an explanation for the reps after the scrimmage.

“Yeah, we were trying to mix and match with Cole [OL Cole Van Lanen] being out, we have to figure out who our swing tackle is going to be for the short term right now, specifically," Coen said.

"We still have, obviously, competition going on at all spots, but specifically that position, we want to make sure that we're giving guys the opportunity to be on the right side and the left side. That's why Anton moved over there so that we could kind of get a good evaluation of all those tackles being able to play on both sides because you don't know truly which side they're best at. And they have to get good at both if they're going to be our swing tackle.”

The Jaguars' past regime always floated the idea and possibility of Harrison having a future at left tackle, but it never actually had to materialize at any point.

Still, it is worth noting that Harrison was a college left tackle who was moved to the right side after Jawaan Taylor left in free agency following the 2022 season.

"But as far as Anton’s ability to play right or left, this year what he did as a rookie. Coming into the National Football League and going up mano-mano on some of the best pass rushers, a gauntlet of pass rushers throughout the course of the year; you look at the pressure rate that he gave up and a guy that wasn’t given a lot of help in terms of chips and double teams and protection," former Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said after the 2023 season.

"You got to be nothing but proud of how he handled himself as a rookie. He’s only going to get better, there’s another young guy that really loves the game, loves to work and loves to compete. We expect great things from him. Do we feel like he can play left? Absolutely we do.”