This player has been the Jacksonville Jaguars unsung hero since the bye week.
The unsung hero for the Jacksonville Jaguars since the bye week is offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen.
Not only has Van Lanen played a lot of meaningful snaps for the Jaguars and done so quite well, he’s also played four of the five different offensive line positions during that span of games.
In Week 9 against the Raiders, Van Lanen played 10 snaps at left guard and 18 at tight end as a sixth offensive lineman, according to PFF.
In Week 10, with Ezra Cleveland sidelined, Van Lanen started at left guard.
In Weeks 11 and 12, with Anton Harrison out, Van Lanen was at right tackle.
In the Jaguars’ most recent game, Van Lanen started the game at right guard in place of Patrick Mekari, then mid-game moved to left tackle when Walker Little exited.
While bouncing from position to position, Van Lanen has surrendered just one sack. Out of 79 eligible offensive linemen from Weeks 10-13, Van Lanen ranks 31st in run-blocking grade.
This level of versatility from Van Lanen and his ability to transition from one spot to the next so seamlessly and at the drop of a hat is not common. And that ability has been extremely valuable for the Jaguars’ offense.
“Just the things Cole has been able to do this year have been really impressive,” Trevor Lawrence said, via Jaguars.com. “I don’t think there’s many guys that can do that or have done that, honestly. So, definitely proud of him and just the way he’s been playing and as a unit.”