Jaguars' Anton Harrison keeps improving, Pederson gives analysis on Ezra Cleveland trade

Anton Harrison has been through the wringer through the first eight games of his career, and it's only going to make him better.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Harrison with the No. 27 pick in this year's draft. The rookie has started all eight games for the team this year and has steadily improved since Week 1. He got his first taste of elite players at the pro level in Week 2 facing up against All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones.

Since then, the rookie has gone up against players such as Kwity Paye (Indianapolis Colts), Bud Dupree (Atlanta Falcons), Leonard Floyd (Buffalo Bills), Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints) and T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers).

“It’s kind of baptism by fire," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said about Harrison through the first eight weeks of the season. "Every week is a challenge and he’s been faced with great edge rushers in his rookie year and he continues to improve. There’s going to be times when he gets beat, [the] best tackles are league are going to get beat from time-to-time. He continues to improve and get better."

'Start to dominate': Anton Harrison welcomes competition, has high expectations for himself

According to Pro Football Focus, Harrison has allowed 13 total pressures, the second most on the team. For a rookie, 13 pressures through eight games isn't unreasonable. Jaguars right guard Brandon Scherff has been credited for 10, for example.

Harrison has allowed five sacks, two coming against Jones in Week 2. It's no surprise that he's allowed three pressures each in games against the Steelers (Watt), Bills (Floyd) and the Chiefs (Jones). Still, what he's been able to accomplish through eight weeks is growth and finding a balance.

"He understands his set angles have got to get better there. He’s athletic enough and he’s very capable, he’s very prideful, he wants to get better and he wants to be a great tackle in this league," said Pederson "Anytime you’re playing the T.J. Watts and the Chris Jones’ of the world, they’re going to make you better. He’s trending upward in that way.”

Harrison's challenges don't stop now, though. He gets to face off against Nick Bosa and/or newly-acquired San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Chase Young after the team gets back from the bye week.

That'll be a challenge the rookie welcomes as he continues to improve.

"I want to go against the best," Harrison said in the locker room Tuesday as the team got ready to leave for their annual break in the season.

"Get it out the way early, so I'm not surprised later. That's something I want to do, go get the best so I know what to expect next time or late in the season or even a playoff run. Things like that help me as a player."

Harrison said that he feels like he's growing each week from preseason Week 1, to Week 1 of the regular season to now. That's something he strives for, putting better film out than in the previous week.

It all puts him on the path he's seeking, "to really start to dominate," he said.

"Got the growing paints, but it's kinda getting the time where it's crunch time a little bit. So really just trying to lock in and eliminate some of them MAs [missed assignments] and bad plays out in the film and just try to make them all good plays and to show what I can really do out there on Sundays."

Ezra Cleveland gives Jaguars offensive line depth

While Harrison continues to improve, so does the Jaguars' offensive line in general.

On Tuesday, just hours prior to the NFL's trade deadline, the Jaguars acquired guard Ezra Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings.

Cleveland, currently in his fourth season, has started 49 games for the Vikings over the years and was with Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher while the two were in Minnesota from 2020-2021. He was originally selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and the Jags reportedly acquired him for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Moments after the trade went official, Pederson was asked about the acquisition during an appearance on ESPN's Pat McAfee show, noting that Cleveland is a "starting-type" of guard, meaning he has plenty of experience starting in the league.

"We've already got a good offensive line and Ezra [Cleveland] can come in and give us some really good depth and it's just a matter of getting him caught up and getting him in the room with a really good offensive line," said Pederson. "Guys like Brandon Scherff, he's the leader in there and Luke Fortner ... you look at these guys, [such as] Cam Robinson, Walker Little, these guys are just busting their tail every week.

"So, getting a guy like Ezra, his caliber, we got a starting-type guard, really solidifies our offensive line and makes us better."

Cleveland fits what the Jaguars want in a guard. At 6-foot-6, 311 pounds, he offers more size inside compared to Tyler Shatley who stands at 6-foot-3, 305 pounds. He is also highly athletic, grading out with a 9.98 RAS (Relative Athletic Score), according to TheMathBomb.

Though he may not start right away as guard Walker Little makes his way back from a knee injury suffered Week 5, he might provide some push to Shatley and Little as he works his way into the room.

Giving quarterback Trevor Lawrence some added insurance is a good thing and the Jaguars feel like they got a starting-caliber player for a late-round draft choice.

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

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Anton Harrison grows every week; Pederson talks Ezra Cleveland