Big Battle Brewing For the Right Guy at Right Tackle

Training Camp is always the time for position battles of epic proportions. No battle may be bigger in importance and girth than the one slated for Miller Electric in late July for the right to man the right side of the line for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the latest episode of the Jacksonville Jaguars Insider Podcast, Beat Writer John Shipley previewed the heavyweight fight in Duval.

"I'd say the absolute most-important position battle is at right tackle between Anton Harrison and Chuma Edoga, a free agent acquisition from Dallas. Now I believe, and I wrote an article stating this, that Anton Harrison should be the answer at right tackle this year. I think that Anton's ceiling is just in such a high place that if they can get him to meet his potential, if they can develop him and help him develop his consistency, [and] if you can get him to hit, that's absolutely massive for the rest of the offense, for the offensive line, and really for the team in general."

Shipley continued, "Anton has a special skill set, I think in many ways, that very easily could be why the Jaguars have shown, I wouldn't say, frustration, but why they have shown clearly where they stand in terms of where they want to see Anton improve over the course of training camp [and] in the regular season. They see in there that he can be a terrific player."

Although Harrison is not a draft selection of this current administration, something that can hurt some players, coaches have noticed the raw athleticism of Harrison.

"Offensive line coach Sean Sarrett told Jacksonville Jaguars on SI at the end of OTAs that Anton is one of the most athletic tackles he's ever been around in his life. And just the sheer upside that Anton brings with him, if you can get him close to meeting that potential, it can be a game changer," Shipley recalled."

Harrison weighs in at 315 lbs. and stands at 6'4". But at the same weight and a mere one inch taller, the big fella out of Oklahoma doesn't have hardly any advantages of his camp competition, Edoga. But Edoga has some intangibles that cannot be ignored.

"Edoga though, you know, probably has a little bit more consistency. He has more experience. He's a veteran guy. He also has some versatility. He can play inside, outside. He has done it before. It appeared, over the course of the offseason program that Edoga will be given a legitimate chance to battle for the job, and it's nothing against Edoga, or his skill set, or what he brings to the table, [but] I just think that he makes sense as a backup right tackle, as a potential swing tackle option."

"With Harrison, to me, just the best path moving forward is give him another go at it. See really where he is by the end of the season, where you want to take it from there, and if you need to find another right tackle, then you have your answer. But to me, his upside is worth the potential questions that you have to ask over the course of the season, training camp and of the developmental process."

This camp battle has the potential to last all the way until Labor Day, or right beforehand. It's truly, at this juncture, way to close to call, and the glory of the preseason, is to sort all of that out. But nonetheless it's going to be a fun fight to follow.

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