Josh Allen likes what he sees from Jaguars' 2023 top pick
The 2023 Jacksonville Jaguars have plenty of storylines. Among them include: how quickly can rookie right tackle Anton Harrison adapt to the elite level of opposing NFL defenders? Also, will Josh Allen be able to continue his steady rise from his rookie season and take the next step by establishing himself as one of the […]
The 2023 Jacksonville Jaguars have plenty of storylines. Among them include: how quickly can rookie right tackle Anton Harrison adapt to the elite level of opposing NFL defenders? Also, will Josh Allen be able to continue his steady rise from his rookie season and take the next step by establishing himself as one of the premiere edge rushers in the league in 2023?
Those two storylines will cross early and often this fall.
Allen and Harrison will have the chance to go against each regularly in training camp and practices, which will help determine whether either or both live up to the lofty expectations placed upon them entering the 2023 season.
Allen, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, will be looking to show the team that he is that elite player that his trajectory has been taking him towards becoming. Since his rookie season in 2019, his production and grading has steadily gone up each year, with his Pro Football Focus defensive grade rising from 68.4 his rookie year to 84.7 in 2022. And in addition to totaling a strong 14.3% pressure rate in 2022 (77 pressures in 539 pass rushing snaps), he earned a career best 83.0 run defense grade from PFF in 2022.
Accordingly, he will give Harrison a look at what quality edge rushers in the NFL will be like on Sundays. And he'll start doing so as soon as the teams get on the field in training camp this summer. It will be a true trial by fire for the talented rookie.
As far as what Allen thinks of his soon-to-be counterpart, he was effusive with his praise for the young tackle. "Just from the tape, he stands out," said Allen to reporters this week during OTAs. "Good feet. That's one thing you want to look at [with] a tackle, how good his feet are. I think once he gets comfortable with the scheme and gets comfortable working with all four of the other guys up front, I think he's going to be a heck of a player. I want to be around that talent. I want to challenge each other. I think the best thing to go against him, to help him grow, is to go against guys he's going to see on Sundays. I want to work with him, and he's going to get me better. So I'm excited for that."
Allen's comments regarding Harrison's footwork match up with the numerous draft reports that praised his footwork, athleticism, and pass protection skills. The NFL continues to become more of a passing league, so being sound in pass protection would be a big feather in Harrison's cap as he begins his NFL career.
And the guy that believes in him will also be looking to give him some hard lessons on the practice field. But there's a phrase: iron sharpens iron, and Harrison will have a Ginsu-sharp sword swinging at him every week.
That can only be a good thing for two anchors of the team's lines of scrimmage.
Featured image via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
