Jaguars OT Anton Harrison: Cornerstone Protector Lands in No. 6 Spot

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive line is aiming to take a step in 2026, and there is no questioning who their most important piece is as they attempt to do so.

Jaguars right tackle Anton Harrison takes the No. 6 spot in our rankings of the 25 most important Jaguars, leaving him as the highest-ranked offensive lineman on the team. But why exactly is Harrison so critical to what the Jaguars are set to do in 2026? We break it down below.

Why Anton Harrison is So Important

Simply put, there is no other player on the Jaguars' offensive line depth chart who offers the blue-chip traits that Harrison has displayed at right tackle over the last three years. Harrison has geniune Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent at the position, and the Jaguars' entire staff has not been afraid to say that they consider Harrison's ceiling to be as high as one could imagine. Harrison has earned that kind of belief with his performances over the years, including his career-year in 2025.

Harrison had an up-and-down season in 2024 and was challenged by the Jaguars' staff to work on his consistency a year ago. Harrison responded well to that challenge, having several standout performances in pass-protection and becoming a weapon for head coach Liam Coen to deploy on blocks in space on screens and other schemed-up calls to attack defenses.

The play of the game imo

The throw, the catch, Anton Harrison pic.twitter.com/OtAdQE79F3
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) October 7, 2025

The Jaguars have a deep list of top-tier pass-rushers on their schedule, and they happen to play the Houston Texans and Will Anderson Jr. twice a season. On an offensive line full of solid veterans, Harrison can be the difference-maker who the Jaguars can use to shut down the best opposing pass-rushers week in and week out.

Anton Harrison's Strengths and Weaknesses

anton hariso — Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Anton Harrison (77) looks on during the third day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Harrison has the size and athletic traits to match up with any pass-rusher on the Jaguars' schedule, from Anderson and Danielle Hunter to T.J. Watt and Abdul Carter. Harrison has frequently displayed the ability to win against top-level pass-rushers when 1-on-1 on an island, and his ability to recover has shown up as well. His quickness and strength allow Harrison to match up well against both speed and power rushers.

As an athlete, Harrison's skill-set was put on full display in Coen's scheme a year ago. Harrison had several highlight blocks in space, with the Jaguars frequently matching him up against linebackers and defensive backs to set up big blocks to spring the Jaguars to the second-level and to the outside.

If there is any weakness to Harrison's game, it is simply the fact that he is still a young player (he is only 24) who battles with consistency at times. He has elite-level flashes, and he simply needs to continue to work on making sure those remain the norm when it comes to his play. Harrison could also improve as a run-blocker in general, though he took steps in that regard last season.

What Happens if the Jaguars Need to Replace Anton Harrison

The Jaguars have several options if they endd up needing to find someone to fill in for Harrison for a few games for any reason. It remains to be seen when Cole Van Lanen will be officially back, and the slight chance that he might not be ready Week 1 is why he is not in our top-25 for this season. But once Van Lanen is healthy, the Jaguars will have three starting quality tackles between him, Harrison, and veteran offensive tackle Walker Little.

Little has been better throughout his career at left tackle as opposed to on the right side, so one solution could be for the Jaguars to move Van Lanen to right tackle and let Little play on the left side. If the Jaguars do not have Van Lanen, however, they will not be lacking in options in that scenario either.

The Jaguars have a former college tackle in 2025 third-rounder Wyatt Milum who could split out and play right tackle. Veteran offensive lineman Patrick Mekari would also make a ton of sense since he started games at the spot for the Baltimore Ravens in the past. Then there is also backup offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, who took snaps there a year ago.

Why We Ranked Anton Harrison Here

Harrison is the type of player that not every offensive line has. There is a reason he was a first-round pick by the previous regime in 2023, and there is a reason the Jaguars opted to pick up his fifth-year option for 2027 without much hesitation at all. Eventually, Harrison is bound to get a contract from the Jaguars considering the talent he has and just how important he is to Coen's offensive line and the offense at large.

"We know that progression is never linear, but hopefully we can continue to compound off the things that he built on last year. He's a guy, he knows this, that his ceiling is essentially as high as he wants it to be," Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said in May.

"So that's a beautiful predicament to be in because we're going to push him to continue to push beyond where he is at right now, no matter where that is. He's going to be responsible for his end of it, and we got to be responsible for our end of it, giving him the opportunity and tools to continue to elevate.”

anto — Nov 10, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Anton Harrison (77) runs onto the field with the American flag before the. game against the Minnesota Vikings at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

If Harrison takes another step forward in 2026 like he did a year ago, he could easily put his name next to the elites of the NFL's offensive tackle hierachy. In the event that happens, an already potent Jaguars offense will be all the more dangerous as they enter a big season.

With the Texans and Anderson facing the Jaguars twice this year with an elite defense and pass-rush, the argument could be made that Harrison is the most important player not named Trevor Lawrence when it comes to those two matchups, which says it all in terms of his value.

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