The Jaguars' Top 2027 Roster Need Just Became Crystal Clear

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars still have a lot of football left in 2026, but that doesn't mean they can't always keep an eye on the future.

The future became a bit more clear for the Jaguars this week, at least as it pertains to what the Jaguars' top need might be in the 2027 offseason. With Jaguars' left tackle Anton Harrison now out for the year with an ACL injury, the Jaguars' biggest draft need a year from now has become crystal clear: the Jaguars need a young tackle to develop and bring into their system, and they need one badly.

The OT Need

The Jaguars have the ability to sustain Harrison's injury without much disruption to the offense thanks to Walker Little, who will now slot in at left tackle. Losing Harrison is obviously not ideal, especially because it takes the Jaguars from a great offensive tackle depth chart to one that has second-year guard Wyatt Milum an injury away from stepping in. But the Jaguars should be OK.

With that said, it is the long-term ramifications of Harrison's injury, both for himself and the Jaguars, that now make offensive tackle the team's biggest need before the 2027 offseason is even close to kicking off. The Jaguars' present at tackle looks fine, but Harrison's injury has made the future a lot murkier at a key spot.

Harrison was thought to be the best candidate to be the Jaguars' long-term answer at the left tackle spot, though he needed to prove himself this season to truly land the kind of big-money deal that would have made him a franchise pillar. Harrison started just six games at left tackle in his first four seasons, all of which came this season, which means the Jaguars' sample size of him on the blindside isn't exactly enough to feel confident in picking up extension talks.

Had Harrison stayed healthy and played well to end 2026, he likely would have been a prime extension candidate, either at the end of the season or at some point while playing on his fifth-year option. If he stayed healthy and was inconsistent, as he had been in six games this year, he likely would have entered next year as the starting left tackle for at least one more season as he attempted to prove himself again. That would have at least given the Jaguars some time to figure out left tackle.

But, that didn't happen. Harrison's season is over after only six games, and the Jaguars have no better idea now of whether he is their future at tackle than they did when the season began. That won't change with Harrison sidelined for the rest of the season, and the Jaguars will likely look to simply get by at left tackle until then, at least in terms of the long-term view.

That then brings 2027 into focus. The Jaguars' tackle situation will be Harrison coming off an ACL injury and still being a relative long-term unknown; Little entering a contract year; Cole Van Lanen in his age-29 season. The Jaguars would likely feel fine with rolling into the season with those as their top-3 options because it would be very similar to what they entered 2026 with.

But they also entered 2026 with the hope, perhaps even the expectation, of Harrison entrenching himself as the left tackle of the future. They likely can not enter 2027 with the same expectations, which means finding that tackle is critical. And for all of the positions the Jaguars have added to over the last two drafts, a young tackle is one thing they haven't found.

The only two offensive/defensive positions the Jaguars haven't drafted since James Gladstone took over as general manager are quarterback (duh) and offensive tackle, since Wyatt Milum was drafted as a guard. They have taken a center, running backs, receivers, tight ends, linebackers, safeties, a cornerback, defensive ends, and a defensive tackle ... but no offensive tackle.

The Jaguars need one they can develop, and Harrison's injury has made it clear that finding that tackle should be a top priority. An even bigger one than finding defensive line depth or secondary pieces. Instead, the Jaguars need to find a talented tackle who they can develop for at least a year before turning over the left tackle spot to him in the future.

Jacksonville might have needed the tackle even if Harrison stayed healthy. But now, there is no question. The Jaguars need to find some insurance at tackle, and it should happen within the first two rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft.