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Round 6: Pick 214; Cole Van Lanen, OT, Wisconsin


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The Draft Network bio:

PROS (+): Van Lanen is an absolute load coming off the snap. He's got natural power for days thanks to his foot drive and mass, once he's able to create any level of forward push, he's consistent in his efforts to continue to balloon the point of attack. Really enjoyable to watch him in gap/power concepts to continue pushing pace and collapsing defenders off of the football -- he's going to be a natural in the run game at the next level. His frame has enveloped defenders completely and he pairs that push and power with good tenacity as a blocker to stay sticky. I like his general mobility, he's not the most graceful but generally speaking he's effective in space to get the job done.

CONS (—): Reach and wingspan aren't something that flashes as a great asset of his -- but it's compounded by his foot speed in his pass sets. He's much more nimble when he's working forward versus when he's tasked with taking vertical sets. He'll overextend himself a bit on quick sets open the door for defenders to force a missed punch and catch him leaning. There's some visible stiffness in his hips, he's got to really fight and scrap with the inside hand to prevent getting taken on inside counters when he's working on an island against speedy rushers off the edge.

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SUMMARY: Cole Van Lanen (LANN-en) was a two-time First Team All-State offensive tackle at Bay Port High School and won the discus and shot put titles at the 2015 state meet. He was a U.S. Army All-American and four-star recruit, committing to Wisconsin over Iowa and Michigan. Van Lanen became the Badgers’ starting left tackle as a junior and started 19 total games, earning All-Big Ten honors as a junior and senior. He played better on his 2020 film compared to his 2019 tape, but there still are several areas he needs to clean up. Van Lanen is a determined run blocker with the hand strength to turn defenders and the natural momentum to strike and widen lanes. In pass protection, he has a patient, stout punch, but his slide mechanics and footwork are choppy, diminishing his functional mirroring skills in space. Overall, Van Lanen is smart and physical, but his average length and balance issues will push him inside to guard for some teams. He projects as a possible backup.

GRADE: Priority Free Agent

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