A sixth-round pick who grew up minutes from Lambeau Field, Cole Van Lanen has developed into a versatile offensive lineman who signed a lucrative extension with Jacksonville.
Cole Van Lanen is an offensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars known for his ability to play multiple spots along the line. A Green Bay-area native who once starred at Wisconsin, Van Lanen has turned a modest draft slot into a significant role and a multi-year contract extension.
Path to the league
Van Lanen starred at Wisconsin, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference's coaches in 2020 after being rated by Pro Football Focus as one of the highest-graded offensive tackles in the country as a sophomore. The Green Bay Packers, his hometown team, selected him in the sixth round (214th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Van Lanen has been valued around the league for his ability to play every offensive line position except center, eventually landing with the Jaguars. His versatility and performance earned him a three-year, $51 million extension from Jacksonville, including $32.5 million guaranteed.
2025 season recap
Van Lanen started at left tackle for the Jaguars in 2025 and helped anchor an offensive line that posted an NFL-high five games without allowing a sack, the second-most in franchise history. He earned a strong overall grade from Pro Football Focus for the season but suffered a knee injury in the regular-season finale that kept him out of Jacksonville's AFC Wild Card playoff game.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Cole Van Lanen
- Pro Football Reference: Cole Van Lanen
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Wisconsin
- Hometown
- Green Bay, WI, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
