What Walker Little’s Advice Is for Jaguars’ Rookie OT Anton Harrison

The Jacksonville Jaguars know Anton Harrison will learn from Week 2's 17-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and grow from it.

Now, it is important for Harrison himself to know it. 

Week 2 was the ultimate 'Welcome to the NFL' moment for the Jaguars' first-round offensive tackle. Harrison, 21, is the youngest member of the Jaguars' starting offense, something the Chiefs and All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones repeatedly took advantage of. 

But Harrison isn't alone. It wasn't long ago that Jaguars left tackle Walker Little was a rookie offensive tackle attempting to block the best pass-rushers on the planet, and he knows exactly what Harrison experienced on Sunday and how he can improve from it.

“Yeah, it’s always hard, especially as a rookie. Those first few games, you’re just trying to feel things out," Little said on Monday. 

"Sometimes the moment starts to feel a little bigger than you might’ve anticipated it to. You’re going against guys that you’ve only seen on TV for years, so it’s an awesome opportunity but there’s also a lot of pressure that comes with it. That’s something that any young guy has to work through and he’s working through that right now.”

Harrison is going through the same thing all rookie tackles do. The difference is that he is going through it while a part of an offense that was expected to be Super Bowl-ready from Week 1. 

But Harrison is also, to an extent, getting unlucky. 22 offensive tackles have allowed more pressures than Harrison's five pressures in two weeks, including first-round offensive tackle Darnell Wright. Cleveland Browns rookie tackle Dawand Jones has allowed the same amount of pressures despite 16 fewer snaps in pass-protection.

But Harrison has also allowed three sacks, meaning most of his pressures are ending in negative plays for the offense. Two of those sacks have came on third-downs in the red-zone, while one came on a fourth-down past the Chiefs' 50-yard line. 

Harrison hasn't been half as bad as his Week 2 performance vs. one of the NFL's best would indicate. But he is, after all, a rookie. He will improve, but he will also have to go through some growing pains.

“I think he’s doing a great job. He’s learning a lot, he’s building that confidence. It’s hard, this is a hard league and it takes a lot of reps," Little said.

"A lot of game reps against really good guys like we went against last week and this week and we’ll continue to go against. He’s doing a great job, he’s learning a lot, he’s going to be a great player. We all know it, he knows it, he just needs to keep his confidence. He’s a really good player, he works really hard, and he’s going to be a real force for this team.”