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Jacksonville Jaguars' Anton Harrison refuses to rest on last season's laurels
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' Anton Harrison refuses to rest on last season's laurels
The offseason was the most important part of Anton Harrison's preparation for his second NFL season.
And there was nothing "off" about it.
Lifting. Cardio. Hydration. Diet. Harrison took every day seriously, whether it was one of the phases of the Jacksonville Jaguars ' conditioning, OTAs and mini-camp or working out on his own.
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"This is a total flip," the Jaguars' starting right tackle said of his physical shape and mindset going into the season, which begins in Miami on Sept. 8 (1 p.m., CBS). "Just having the whole offseason, a real offseason with the guys, knowing the playbook, practicing with the starting five [offensive line]. I feel very confident."
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 12: Anton Harrison #76 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on from the sidelines as the Jaguars play the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of a preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
He should. Except for missing a few days in the concussion protocol, Harrison (6 feet 4, 315 pounds) had a splendid camp and played well in two preseason games.
"He's playing really well," said Jaguars coach Doug Pederson on Aug. 26. "He had a really good camp. What you see in him is the confidence, having played a full season and really understanding how to play that position. He's been one of the bright spots at camp and excited to watch him get the season going."
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Anton Harrison had a challenging start as a rookie
Indeed, Harrison provided one memorable preseason moment in a 20-7 victory over Tampa Bay when he pulled on a sweep to Tank Bigsby and threw not one, but two Bucs defenders aside like rag dolls.
"I was just reacting in the moment," said the former Oklahoma star and native of the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C. "Trying to do my job to the best of my ability. It's fun to look at after the fact but you try to do that every week ... the same thing, week-in and week-out."
Harrison had a solid rookie season for someone who was thrown into the fire early. Among the edge rushers and other assorted defensive linemen he bumped heads with in the first half of the season were Kwitty Paye of Indianapolis , Chris Jones of Kansas City , Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree of Atlanta , Leonard Floyd and Von Miller of Buffalo and T.J. Watt of Pittsburgh .
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Joey Bosa of San Francisco , Jadeveon Clowney of Baltimore and Myles Garrett of Cleveland came later.
There was no way to easily break Harrison into the rotation. He was drafted to take Jawaan Taylor's spot in the lineup and he had to perform.
Harrison had some trying moments but by season's end, he was graded by PFF as the top rookie lineman in the NFL for the lowest percentage of pressures (6.3 percent of his snaps) and after giving up five sacks in the first seven games, he blanked every edge rusher he blocked in the final nine games.
Considering Harrison was the fifth offensive tackle taken in the first round, it was highly commendable.
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Starting Jaguars line finally got game time together
Because of his concussion, the final preseason game against Atlanta was the first time that the starting line of Harrison and Cam Robinson at tackle, Brandon Scherff and Ezra Cleveland at guard and Mitch Morse at center were able to play at the same time.
They were there for two drives, both long marches that ended in Jaguars' touchdowns. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn't get sacked, completed 8 of 10 passes for two touchdowns and the running backs averaged 4.7 yards per carry.
"I feel good and we come out here and practice and bust our ---- every day," he said. "Finally, getting the whole [starting] five out there, and 100 percent, we showed real good."
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The starting line, which changed only with Morse taking Luke Fortner 's place at center, was often criticized last season. But Pederson likes what he sees going into week one.
"I saw these guys really kind of roll off the ball ... two really good drives to end in touchdowns," he said. "I thought these guys did a really good job playing together. There was great communication ... saw some physicality in the run game, which is good to see. It was really good to see them get out there and get some meaningful reps in those games."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Jacksonville Jaguars' Anton Harrison was one a bright spot in camp
