When the Jacksonville Jaguars plugged in Cole Van Lanen at left tackle and subsequently gave him a contract extension, it seemed like Walker Little was no longer part of their plans beyond 2025, and rightly so.
Little struggled in his first season as a starter. Couple that with the fact that the new regime inherited, and the former Stanford Cardinal appeared to be headed toward the trade block. But the first wave of free agency came and went, and he remains on the roster. And heading into the draft, his odds of sticking around in 2026 are favorable.
Why would the Jaguars want to trade Walker Little?
A second-round pick in 2021, Little flashed potential whenever he was thrust into action. However, he was stuck behind Cam Robinson in his first three NFL seasons. It wasn't until Robinson was traded in 2024 that Little got the chance to start full-time. All things considered, the Houston, Texas native fared well.
This might have been why the team's brass felt compelled to roll with him as the starter at left tackle in 2025. Heck, the Jags could brougth in competition in the offseason to push him, in the offseason but didn't. That might've turned out to be a crass mistake.
Little struggled early in 2025, giving up nine sacks before he was phased out in favor of Cole Van Lanen. Although he got a chance to make an impression at right guard when Patrick Mekari missed time, he didn't stand out. His underwhelming performance, along with the decision to extend Van Lanen, cast doubt about his future in Jacksonville, making him a trade candidate in 2026.
Trading him made sense, as the Jags could free up as much as $10 million if they move on from him. Moreover, they could get some kind of compensation for him, so the benefits would be twofold. Having said that, the veteran hog molly remains on the roster, and it's easy to see why.
Holding onto Walker Little gives the Jaguars depth on the O-Line
It's possible that Walker Little simply dealt with a funk in 2025. All NFL players are prone to it, so it's not particularly shocking to see him have an off year. Perhaps getting bench was the wake-up call the sixth-year offensive lineman needed not to take his job for granted. In fact, he could be given the chance to compete for a starting job in training camp. John Shipley of Sports Illustrated believes he will get it.
And that's the thing, the Jaguars probably won't make the same mistake of just handing Cole Van Lanen the starting job like they did with Little last year. They'll have both compete, but even if Little loses, he would provide depth across the offensive trenches. Moreover, he would be able to rebuild his stock in case he gets a chance to start for another team if Jacksonville ships him before the trade deadline or next year.
Granted, keeping Walker Little around won't come cheap. He's set to have a cap hit of more than $14 million. Then again, that's a price the Jaguars may be willing to pay in order to ensure that Trevor Lawrence's jersey remains clean throughout the season.