We know the big needs that the Jacksonville Jaguars have to address this offseason, whether that be in free agency or in the draft. Among those positions are safety, cornerback, and the interior offensive line.
Recently, NFL.com put together their list of top five positional needs for the Jaguars, and one other that we could see the team invest in is the interior defensive line.
But a position group we haven’t seen listed as a big need for the Jaguars or a position group that the team is addressing in mock drafts is tight end. Could this turn into an under-the-radar need this offseason?
As we look ahead to the Jaguars’ current 2025 roster, they only have three tight ends under contract at the moment: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, and Shawn Bowman.
That in itself is enough reason for the Jaguars to have to invest into the tight end position, but that need could grow depending on how the pre-free agency period unfolds.
ESPN’s Ben Solak recently made an offseason prediction for the Jaguars which included them releasing either Engram or wide receiver Christian Kirk. According to Over the Cap, if the Jaguars moved on from Engram, the team would create nearly $6 million more in available cap space this offseason.
Engram is obviously a big part of the Jaguars’ offense but he did play in only nine games this past season.
Bowman, a 2024 undrafted rookie, doesn’t have any NFL snaps on offense, while Strange will be entering his third NFL season. Both depth and competition could become a real need.
Having a do-it-all tight end in an offense, who can both impact the passing game and the run game, can add a layer of unpredictability to that unit. That presence and versatility can also help open up opportunities for others within the offense as well with the attention a tight end can draw and mismatches that can be created.
In addition to that, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ running game was a big part of the overall offensive success that was had in 2024 under Liam Coen, and as we know, a strong presence at the tight end position can help enhance that ability–the run game–for an offense.
So does this mean that the Jaguars spend top dollar on a free agent tight end or use the fifth overall pick on the position? I’m not saying that. But as the pre-draft process and free agency speculation unfolds, don’t forget about the tight end position.
Depth is needed and this is a position that can have a key role in Coen’s offense.
The top options in free agency, according to PFF, are Juwan Johnson, Mike Gesicki, and Tyler Conklin. In the draft, PFF’s top prospects are Tyler Warren Colston Loveland, and Gunnar Helm.
