Jaguars' O-Line: Van Lanen in Question, Little to Start (But for Long?)

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Walker Little was sidelined for three games this season with a concussion. When the left tackle returned to the field, it was not as the starter at his position.

Jaguars coaches have indicated they plan to start Little on Sunday, as Jacksonville hosts the Buffalo Bills (12-5) in the AFC Wild Card opener. Whether Little begins the game at left tackle or at guard is as unclear as whether Cole Van Lanen will return against the Bills.

Van Lanen left the Jaguars' season finale against the Tennessee Titans with a knee injury. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound backup guard has played in all but the first game of the season, but because of injuries to others, has been a starter in 10. For the past five weeks, he has started in Little's position of blindside tackle.

And during that stretch, quarterback Trevor Lawrence's performances have been filled with career-high stats and NFL-record outings. Lawrence on Thursday was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for December – and his O-line, especially at left tackle, deserve a lot of credit amid the Jaguars' eight-game winning streak.

Van Lanen didn't practice mid-week, but returned Friday for limited practice. On Friday afternoon, he was listed as questionable to play Sunday.

Head coach Liam Coen spoke with reporters on Friday about Little's and Van Lanen's status, calling it a "luxury" that Walker can play both at guard and tackle.

"Chuma [OL Chuma Edoga] has played both. Cole's played all over the place," Coen said. "These guys have gotten reps starting at all these different positions."

Injuries this season have pressed backups into service, and the Jaguars' offensive line has had up to eight players who can start at various positions.

"Walker's comfortable playing with Anton [OL Anton Harrison]. He's played all year with Ezra [OL Ezra Cleveland], so he's played on both sides," Coen said. "That's really a valuable trait for us to have and an asset to the offensive line and the offense as a whole."

Van Lanen's value to the offensive line has turned into gold as the season has progressed – and not just as a plug-n-play backup. The Jaguars, on Jan. 2, signed Van Lanen to a three-year, $51 million extension.

And pointed questions recently from reporters about Little's status as part of the starting five and coaches' careful responses to those questions warrant a closer look at Little's production this season and his future in Jacksonville.

The 6-foot-7, 325-pound tackle was forced out of the first half of Week 13's Jags-Titans game on Nov. 30 after suffering a concussion. Little missed Week 14 versus the Colts and was unable to practice until Week 15, when he completed the NFL's concussion protocol and rejoined practice amid Jacksonville's eight-game win streak. Still, the Jaguars sat Little versus the Jets too.

Players ruled out with concussions can return to practice only after going through a multi-stage process and gaining clearance from team doctors and an independent neurologist.

Van Lanen finished the Titans game in Little's place, after starting at right guard to replace Patrick Mekari, who started 15 games this season. A concussion and lingering back issues kept Mekari out of three games down the stretch of the season.

Mekari, in his first season in Jacksonville after six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, returned for Week 14's division game against the Colts. He started the next two games, but sat out for the last two games of the regular season.

Mekari was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday this week, but still could return to the lineup for Sunday. If he returns, he would reclaim his spot at right guard.

Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski has been pleased with the way Van Lanen has "stepped up" this season.

"Whether you like it or not, at some point we're going to need it – and we did need it – and he went out and kind of answered the bell," Udinski told reporters. "[Van Lanen] went out there in multiple positions in different weeks and did it."

Udinski said it's a luxury for him and his offensive line coach, Shaun Sarrett, to have great depth with O-line players.

"And not only to have that depth, to have that cohesion in the room, where the guys who can start – you’ve got eight guys, sometimes seven guys – you can still feel good about starting five no matter what the mix and match is."

Van Lanen has started at every position on the line this season, except for center. But once Little was sidelined, Van Lanen stayed in as the Jaguars' starting left tackle.

Both Little and Van Lanen were drafted by the Jags in 2021 – Walker in the second round, at No. 45, out of Stanford; and Van Lanen in the sixth round, 214th overall, from Wisconsin.

Little, who'd worked his way into the starting lineup in 2024, signed a three-year, $40.5 million extension with the Jaguars last December. But this season, the 26-year-old has been hit-and-miss.

Through the first four games this season, Walker allowed just three sacks for a total of 17 yards lost; but in Weeks 5-7, before the bye, Lawrence was sacked 17 times for 87 yards lost. From Weeks 9-12, before Little was concussed, the O-line gave up nine sacks, losing 62 yards. That includes Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers, when the Jags allowed zero QB sacks.

Sack numbers have improved with Van Lanen in Little's spot. Since he took over at left tackle, the Jags went two games with zero sacks; in the final three games of the season, they allowed nine sacks for 44 total yards lost.

On Friday, Coen came across as practical on the matter.

"I would love to be in here and say we had the same five offensive (linemen) start every single game at the same spot all year," he said. "But that's not the case, and it's probably never going to be the case."

That practicality no doubt will extend to the Jaguars' salary cap, as the extension for Van Lanen pushed the team $2.9 million over the limit, according to a BlackandTeal.com report.

If Jacksonville trades Walker after the season, the team frees up $7.3 million in cap space – though the Jags will lose $7.2 million in dead money.

The team has proven adept so far with in-season trades. What the Jags might get back for Walker is anyone's guess, but Coen and his staff already have shown they know how to make chicken salad.