The Jacksonville Jaguars had no trouble repelling the Indianapolis Colts, easily cruising to a 36-19 win. Heck, the final score may suggest that the game was closer than it really was, but the Jags dominated in all three phases throughout the whole game.
And while Liam Coen deserves plenty of credit for having his team ready, he himself will acknowledge that it was the players the ones who came through. One, in particular, Cole Van Lanen had a pretty good outing, which led Pete Prisco of CBS Sports to come up with an intriguing suggestion.
Pete Prisco suggests the Jaguars keep Cole Van Lanen at left tackle
Following the win over the Colts, Pete Prisco took to social media to say that Cole Van Lanen deserves to start left tackle moving forward, noting that he held his own during Walker Little's absence.
"After watching the tape, it's clear the Jaguars should keep Van Lanen at left tackle," Prisco argued. "He was really good against the Colts."
Prisco isn't wrong. Van Lanen just gave up one total pressure and no sacks on 34 pass-blocking snaps. Granted, it was a limited sample, but he certainly played better than Little has the entire year.
In eight games this season, Van Lanen has given up just one sack and 11 total pressures. Meanwhile, Litlte has surrendered nine tackles and 34 total pressures in 12 games. The difference in production is noticeable.
What makes Van Lanen's recent success even more impressive is the fact that he's also made starts at both guard spots and right tackle. That kind of versatility makes him a huge asset in Jacksonville and will make him a hot commodity if he hits the open market.
A sixth-round pick in 2021, Van Lanen spent his rookie season in the Green Bay Packers' practice squad. He was traded to the Jags the following year, just before the start of the regular season. And while he didn't do much of note in his first three seasons in Jacksonville, the Green Bay, Wisconsin native has put it all together in 2025.
Related: Liam Coen just revealed the edge that makes the Jags a threat to other NFL teams
The Jaguars may give Cole Van Lanen another chance to make an impresssion
Cole Van Lanen may make another shot at playing left tackle if Walker Little doesn't clear concussion protocol. If that's the case, he'll have another opportunity to raise his stock and audition for potential suitors in the open market.
If the former Wisconsin Badger fares well, he will definite gives the Jaguars a tough option. They're currently slated to have around $8 million in cap space. However, they probably have bigger priorities than Van Lanen. Re-signing linebacker Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne, and probably extending defensive tackle Travon Walker are at the top of their to-do list.
Then again, good teams don't let players walk, and if Cole Van Lanen keeps proving his worth, the Jaguars need to find a way to keep him long term.