2023 NFL Draft: Jaguars trade back, take Oklahoma OL Anton Harrison with 27th pick

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Harrison, 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, played in 34 games with the Sooners, starting 24. He played 23 games at left tackle, one game at right tackle as a two-year starter for the Sooners. According to Pro Football Focus, Harrison gave up just four sacks and 33 total pressures in college.

Jacksonville traded twice to make the selection, first trading pick No. 24 to the New York Giants for picks Nos. 25, 160 (fifth-round pick) 240 (seventh-round pick). Then, Jacksonville traded with the Buffalo Bills to move back two more spots to pick No. 27. Jacksonville traded pick No. 25 for picks Nos. 27 and 130.

Jacksonville picked up an extra fourth, fifth and seventh-round selection with the trades. They entered the draft without a fifth-round pick, trading the selection away last season for Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley.

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Harrison is one of the youngest players in the draft, turning 21 in February, earlier this year.

Jacksonville entered this year's draft with 21 out of 22 of their starters from last year returning, leaving right tackle Jawaan Taylor as the only starter to depart via unrestricted free agency. Harrison likely replaces Taylor, while the team also deals with the looming suspension of left tackle Cam Robinson.

The team elected not to spend money in free agency, instead signing several of their own impending free agents. In the draft, Jacksonville looked to shore up several of its holes and they began the draft weekend by filling the void the team had at tackle after Taylor left via free agency.

There was a lot of action earlier in the night within the AFC South with the Houston Texans making two blockbuster selections, including taking Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick before trading up from pick No. 12 to No. 3, selecting Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

Moments later, the Indianapolis Colts followed up by selecting Florida Gators QB Anthony Richardson, making that two new quarterbacks in the AFC South.

The Jaguars own two picks, Nos. 56 (Round 2) and 88 (Round 3) during the second day of the draft, Friday, April 28. The second round of the event will begin at 7 p.m.

Jaguars' last five years in the first round

• 2022: DL Travon Walker, Georgia

• 2022: LB Devin Lloyd, Utah

• 2021: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

• 2021: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson

• 2020: CB C.J. Henderson, Florida

• 2020: OLB K'Lavon Chaisson, LSU

• 2019: OLB Josh Allen, Kentucky

• 2018: DL Taven Bryan, Florida

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars trade back, select OT Anton Harrison with 27th pick of 2023 NFL Draft