After benching left tackle Walker Little in 2025, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to move on from him in the offseason. After all, Cole Van Lanen became the starter late in the year and got a contract extension not long after. But fast forward to 2026, and Little remains on the roster.
This is a bit surprising because the Jags could get plenty of cap relief if they traded the 2021 second-round pick. Moreover, they could get some kind of compensation — maybe a late-round selection — in return for him. However, it seems like he could stick around next season, and there's one big reason why.
Walker Little gives the Jaguars protection amid Cole Van Lanen's injury
While Cole Van Lanen outperformed Walker Little last season, he sat out the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills after suffering a knee injury in the season finale. Given that he signed a three-year deal worth $54 million in 2025, it's fair to assume that he'll be the starting left tackle moving forward. However, the former Wisconsin Badger is still recovering from the knee injury.
General manager James Gladstone says that Van Lanen's recovery is going well, but the Jags won't truly have a good grasp of where he stands until the offseason program and training camp.
"He's trending in a positive direction, and everything's ahead of schedule in a really good way," Gladstone said via Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. "I think once we get to the offseason program and training camp, we'll have a firmer grip on when he'll be full go. But as of right now, he's trending to where we feel good about his availability."
O'Hallaran thinks that Jacksonville may be holding onto Little as insurance in case Van Lanen isn't 100 percent later in the offseason, as they could plug him in at left tackle without a hitch. Couple that with the fact that he's previously lined up at both guard spots and even competed with Jawaan Taylor for the job at right tackle in 2022, and his versatility to play anywhere across the offensive trenches could come in handy next season.
This makes sense when you take into account that Little has appeared in 70 games with 39 starts. That kind of experience will be invaluable in case the injury bug strikes. Heck, John Shipley of Sports Illustrated argues that his stock has gone up after free agency precisely because of his versatility.
Why the Jaguars could still trade Walker Little
This doesn't mean that the Jaguars won't trade Walker Little. Heck, teams unable to come out of the draft with a left tackle could make a push for him. This could be a feasible path if the team's brass sees enough progress in sophomore Wyatt Milum during Organized Team Activities.
On the other hand, the Jags don't have much of an incentive to cut ties with Little because they would be giving up valuable depth at offensive tackle. Sure, he underperformed in 2025, but another offseason under the same coaching staff could allow him to bounce back.
Moreover, the Jags may not be making any big moves right now, so they probably won't need the $10 million in space they would get if they traded the former Stanford Cardinal. Another option would be to keep him around, let him rebuild his stock, so they can trade him for better compensation in 2027.
When you add it all up, there's plenty of value in keeping Walker Little around for another season.