The Jacksonville Jaguars beefed up their offensive front with a Tuesday trade ahead of their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. In exchange for an undisclosed draft pick, the Jaguars acquired Packers lineman Cole Van Lanen according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
The pick will likely be conditional, and the depth this move brings to the Jaguars’ line is well worth any risk they’ll incur in trading for him. Demovsky broke the news on Twitter, noting that Van Lanen is a Green Bay native:
The Packers are trading OL Cole Van Lanen, a Green Bay native, to the Jaguars, a source said. It’s for an undisclosed draft pick.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 23, 2022
Van Lanen played his college ball at the University of Wisconsin and entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft class. He spent most of last year stashed away on the Packers’ practice squad but was elevated to the 53-man roster late in the season, though he didn’t make a start. As an interior lineman, Van Lanen will compete with KC McDermott and Darryl Williams for one of the Jaguars’ depth roles up front.
The only drawback to the move is that he is unlikely to play much against the Falcons on Saturday with just a few practices in the teal and black under his belt. He has a chance to fill in if someone else gets hurt, but Jacksonville’s minimal investment in Van Lanen may end up resulting in another season on the practice squad for the second-year lineman.
Depth is a key part of success in the NFL, and this move seems to be a final attempt to get the offense’s front-five as much help as possible before the regular season kicks off in September. Jacksonville made a big investment in guard Brandon Scherff during free agency, so protecting second-year franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence is clearly a top priority for the Jaguars this year.
Time will tell if Van Lanen ends up being a factor in that effort.