3 Observations on Cole Van Lanen's Return and What it Means for Jaguars' OL

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars got a big training camp win on Thursday.

The Jaguars officially activated offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen off the Active/PUP list after he passed a physical, which means the return of the Jaguars' big-money offensive tackle is now imminent.

So, what does Van Lanen's return mean for the new-look Jaguars' offensive line? We break it down below.

This is Best-Case Scenario for Jaguars

As we noted when the Jaguars first put Van Lanen on the Active/PUP list in late-July, it never meant the Jaguars would not have in Week 1. It meant that he was not quite ready for the first 16 practices of training camp and, but the best-case scenario for the Jaguars was always for Van Lanen to be back by Week 1 vs. the Cleveland Browns and their strong defensive front. And while Van Lanen still likely needs to clear a few practice hurdles before he is officially back in the lineup, this is big news for the Jaguars.

The Jaguars have been without Van Lanen for all of training camp after he sustained a knee injury in Week 18 last season, and they have since moved Anton Harrison to left tackle. Having Van Lanen back will now mean the Jaguars have options when it comes to their tackle spot, a position that has been hit by injuries at times in camp. The amount of flexibility the Jaguars have with Van Lanen in the mix as opposed to any scenarios without him is significant.

It seems pretty clear the Jaguars will not have veteran guard Patrick Mekari anytime soon, so getting Van Lanen back is a significant development. The other Jaguars' linemen who still have to get healthy -- Chuma Edoga and Wyatt Milum -- are not front-shelf starters like Van Lanen is, and he was the biggest injury to watch up front.

Options for Week 1 Starting OL

LIAM COE — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen talks with the media after a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on the 16th session of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Simply put, there is no real way of knowing which offensive line will line up against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. The Jaguars have a *ton* of options now that Van Lanen is set to be back back. Considering Week 1 isn't for another three weeks, that should give Van Lanen plenty of time to get back up to speed. With this context, here are all of the different combinations we can think of:

Combo A: Anton Harrison-Emmanuel Pregnon-Robert Hainsey-Ezra Cleveland-Cole Van Lanen

Combo B: Cole Van Lanen-Emmanuel Pregnon-Robert Hainsey-Ezra Cleveland-Anton Harrison

Combo C: Anton Harrison-Ezra Cleveland-Robert Hainsey-Walker Little-Cole Van Lanen

Combo D: Anton Harrison-Ezra Cleveland-Robert Hainsey-Jonah Monheim-Cole Van Lanen

Combo E: Anton Harrison-Ezra Cleveland-Robert Hainsey-Wyatt Milum-Cole Van Lanen

Combo F: Anton Harrison-Walker Little-Robert Hainsey-Wyatt Milum-Cole Van Lanen

My prediction is that we see either option A or C. But the Jaguars have a lot more choices to pick from now than they a few days ago, which is an important development for an offensive line that has simply sustained far too many injuries during the opening weeks of training camp.

Who Loses Out

The biggest loser from this news? Second-year offensive lineman Wyatt Milum. Add in the return of Van Lanen, the trade for Daniel Faalele, and the undeniable ascension of Emmanuel Pregnon and snaps look like they could once again be hard to come by for the second-year offensive lineman. As things stand today, Milum feels more like a backup than a Week 1 starter.

Does that mean Milum will not get a chance to play in 2026? Of course not. But once he gets healthy, it is not even a sure thing that he would be next man up if a guard went down since the Jaguars would have so many other options. He looked like a potential starter at right tackle if Van Lanen was not back, but not anymore. It is just tough to slot him in the lineup right now.

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