The Jacksonville Jaguars were overwhelmingly lauded for their maneuvering and selection of Anton Harrison in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. Their second- and third-round selections were a different story, though.
After trading down late in the second round, the Jaguars picked Brenton Strange, a tight end with little production at Penn State, who few expected to be picked that early. A round later, Jacksonville added Tank Bigsby to a running backs room that was already one of the team’s strengths.
While most expected the Jaguars to prioritize improvements on defense, the team has only addressed the offensive side of the ball through the first two days.
Here is what experts thought about the Jaguars’ second- and third-round picks:
NFL.com (Chad Reuter): B-
Analysis: “Jacksonville needed a tight end to complement Evan Engram, who received the franchise tag. Strange is a nimble but powerful runner after the catch, though the run on tight ends likely pushed him up the board. The Jaguars ignored their needs at corner and the defensive line again to pick a north-south runner in Bigsby, who can help move the chains.”
Touchdown Wire (Doug Farrar): B
Analysis: “The Jaguars gave the franchise tag to Evan Engram, who proved to be a revelation in Doug Pederson’s offense last season. Pederson knows how to get the most out of tight ends, and he now has Strange on board for some interesting packages. At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Strange projects well as an H-back and aligned to the formation, with quality blocking reps. He’s not an explosive deep weapon, but his overall skill set will get and keep him on the field.”
only graded second round
CBS Sports (Chris Trapasso): A- (Strange) & B (Bigsby)
Strange analysis: “Love this pick. Strange was a low-volume weapon at Penn State but flourishes after the catch thanks to outstanding athleticism and power through contact. Can get open too. Fun pairing with Evan Engram for Trevor Lawrence.”
Bigsby analysis: “Dynamic athlete at the RB spot who’s deceptively elusive because he can win through tackles or subtly avoid them. Plenty good enough as a receiver. Fast too. Was a feature back in college and remained efficient throughout. Fun addition to this offense.”
The Athletic (Scott Dochterman): C- (Strange) & B+ (Bigsby)
Strange analysis: “The run of second-round tight ends continues with the Jaguars taking the Penn State pass catcher. Like with Dallas, Jacksonville chose to pass up two top-51 ranked tight ends by Brugler in favor of one ranked No. 97. It seems perplexing in both situations.”
Bigsby analysis: “Bigsby posted solid numbers during his Auburn career, but it seems like he offers more than what his Tigers’ production suggested. Last year, Bigsby (5-11 ½, 210) averaged 6.0 yards per carry on 970 total yards and rushed for 10 touchdowns. In 2021, he ran for 1,099 yards and put up 834 yards in 2020 after just four starts in 10 games. He was the SEC’s freshman of the year.”
Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer): D (Strange) & B (Bigsby)
Strange analysis: “This is a weird reach for Strange, a deep-day three tight end, especially as a pure depth move behind Evan Engram and Luke Farrell. Darnell Washington would have been better here, too.”
Bigsby analysis: “Bigsby adds a pure power back to a strong backfield that includes receiving-forward dynamo Travis Etienne and newcomer swing backup D’Ernest Johnson. The Jaguars are working on their version of the Browns 1-2 punch backfield with Etienne and Bigsby.”
Pro Football Focus: Below average (Strange) & Average (Bigsby)
Strange analysis: “This could very well be a long-term replacement for Evan Engram because Strange projects far better as a receiver than he does as a run blocker. He caught 62.5% of the contested targets he saw in 2022 and had a drop rate of just 3.0%. His 60.5 run-blocking grade confirms that you probably don’t want him taking on defensive ends as an in-line blocker.”
Bigsby analysis: “Jacksonville adds a complementary weapon to Travis Etienne by taking Auburn running back Tank Bigsby. The Jags employ inside-zone runs at a high rate, and Bigsby turned in the second-best rushing grade on such plays among Power Five running backs since 2020.”
SB Nation (Joseph Acosta): C- (Strange) & B- (Bigsby)
Strange analysis: “I get the rationale in taking a TE, I really do. But Strange seems more like a guy the Jaguars could’ve gotten on Day 3.”
Bigsby analysis: “Tank Bigsby runs angry, he’s got no problems fighting through contact and made a lot of plays after being dealt a bad hand at Auburn. Bigsby won’t have to be the bellcow in Jacksonville, and he’s a nice complement to Travis Etienne.”
