Grading the Jaguars' Extension of Cole Van Lanen

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have made some big moves to keep key pieces in recent weeks, and the latest was the three-year extension of offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen on Friday night.

So, how do we grade the Jaguars' contract for Van Lanen and what do we think it means moving forward? We break it down below.

Pros

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen (70) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It is hard to put a value on the flexibility and reliability Van Lanen has provided the Jaguars this season. He has started games at every position other than center, and he has played at a high level at each of them. The Jaguars signed Patrick Mekari last offseason for the same reason, and Van Lanen is arguably a better tackle. This gives the Jaguars perhaps the two most versatile offensive linemen in football.

As long as Van Lanen continues to plays well at left tackle moving forward, his contract should look like a relative bargain, too. He signed a three-year, $51 million deal with $32.5 million in guarantees. This ranks 15th in total contract value amongst left tackles, 16th in average annual value, and 15th in guaranteed money. As long as he maintains the level of play at tackle he has shown over the last month, this will be solid value.

Cons

The issue here isn't so much the price, as we noted above. As long as Van Lanen plays well, the deal will age well. And even in the event he doesn't, it is not like he has a top of the market deal for his position. As more young tackles get paid, Van Lanen's deal will get bumped down some, which means there isn't that much financial downside here.

The main issue, though, is the sample size. Van Lanen only has a handful of games at left tackle in his career and, while he has impressed, the Jaguars are taking a leap of faith in trusting that he can maintain this level of play as their left tackle of the future. The other options for 2026 left tackle had issues, too, but the Jaguars will need Van Lanen to do more to prove them right.

Grade

This is a big number for Van Lanen considering his background as a Day 3 pick who the Jaguars got in a throwaway trade in 2022 and lack of starting experience until this season, but the state of the left tackle market makes it a tolerable deal. Still, the Jaguars are trusting him to be their long-term left tackle based on too small of a sample size to have surpreme confidence in.

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