The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they've placed Cole Van Lanen on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) prior to training camp starting. So while Van Lanen is sidelined, who starts at left tackle for the Jaguars?
Van Lanen is still rehabbing a knee injury that he sustained in Week 18 of last season. He did not participate in the on-field portion of offseason programs, and we do not know what his timeline to return looks like.
Who will play left tackle while Cole Van Lanen is on the PUP list?
For the Jaguars, the answer to this question is pretty straightforward -- it's Walker Little.
Little was the Jaguars' starting left tackle last season before missing time due to an injury, which led to Van Lanen eventually taking control of that job.
Little's play was up and down last season. The 50 pressures Little surrendered
were the second-most among all tackles. He also ranked 75th out of 90 eligible tackles in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric and 59th in run-blocking grade.
However, having an experienced option to lean on off the bench while Van Lanen is out is valuable. Although there was outside trade speculation around Little this offseason, there were a few reasons why the Jaguars hanging on to him seemed to be the most likely outcome, with Van Lanen's status being one of those examples.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: What is Jaguars plan at LT with Cole Van Lanen on PUP list?
