Little, 25, was chosen by Jacksonville within the second spherical of the 2021 draft and noticed simply six common season begins over his first two skilled seasons. Nevertheless, three of these video games — together with two extra postseason appearances as a starter — got here on the finish of the Jaguars’ thrilling 2022 marketing campaign, when the membership rallied to a playoff berth and received a memorable wildcard spherical bout in opposition to the Chargers. Little’s efforts throughout that stretch earned the reward of quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
This season, talking shortly after the Jags traded longtime LT Cam Robinson to the Vikings (thereby paving the best way for Little), Lawrence stated, “[Little] needed to are available in, in ‘22 when Cam received harm, and end the season once we had been on that run. We didn’t skip a beat as a result of he was ready, and he ready on daily basis like a starter. … [H]e’s greater than prepared and he’s carried out a terrific job. I’m excited for him. I’ve received all the religion on this planet, and he’s performed nice to date.” (h/t John Shipley of SI.com)
Little obtained intensive work in 2023 thanks largely to Robinson’s PED suspension and subsequent knee damage (although a few of Little’s motion got here at left guard). In 14 video games (11 begins), Little was flagged for seven penalties and yielded 26 complete pressures, seven of which received house for sacks. That amounted to a middling 58.8 total grade from Professional Soccer Focus, which positioned him because the 58th-best deal with out of 81 qualifiers.
Now the unquestioned starter at left deal with within the wake of this 12 months’s Robinson commerce, Little has began every of the Jags’ final 4 video games and has allowed only one sack and three QB hits throughout that point. PFF has assigned him a robust 67.9 total mark for his 2024 work, and his efficiency up to now has satisfied Jacksonville brass that Little is the precise participant to guard Lawrence’s blind facet for the foreseeable future.
Naturally, GM Trent Baalke was “closely concerned” within the Little negotiations, as Schefter confirms. In fact, Baalke could be very a lot on the hot seat, so it’s a minimum of notable that he’s making main selections that may impression the long-term way forward for the Jaguars. A rival govt tells Schefter that the Little extension is an indication that Baalke is planning to stay with the membership, although Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle throws some chilly water on that notion. As Department reminds us, Baalke licensed a five-year, $35M deal for tight finish Vance McDonald in December 2016, when Baalke was serving as GM of the 49ers. Baalke was fired lower than a month later.
No matter what it means for Baalke’s future, Little’s new contract probably takes the 2-9 Jaguars out of the operating for an offensive deal with once they make their first choose of the 2025 draft, as ESPN’s Field Yates posits.
