In the first 2025 NFL mock draft from NFL.com’s Eric Edholm, the Jacksonville Jaguars go a different route compared to every other mock draft out there.
With the fifth overall pick, the Jaguars take Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at fifth overall.
“We’re still waiting to see who’ll take the GM reins in Jacksonville, but I can imagine new head coach Liam Coen wanting to support Trevor Lawrence with a do-it-all threat at tight end, even if selecting Warren in the top five feels a tad rich to me,” wrote Edholm.
Warren was among the most productive pass-catching tight ends in college football last season. He was a massive part of the Penn State offense, catching 104 passes for 1,230 yards and eight touchdowns.
But what makes Warren a top prospect goes beyond his ability as a pass-catcher. He’s also a versatile player, able to line up really anywhere–including in the backfield–across the formation. He’s also a very capable blocker as well.
When you have those elements at the tight end position–versatility and a well-rounded skill set–there is a layer of unpredictability that’s added to an offense. Defenses can’t get a beat on what’s coming based on where the tight end is. This can then help create mismatches and leave the defense off-balanced.
With only Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, and Shawn Bowman under contract at the tight end position for the 2025 season, tight end is a need for the Jaguars. At a minimum they need additional depth.
However, that need is heightened if the team were to move on from Engram in favor of salary cap savings–a prediction that ESPN’s Ben Solak recently made.
A do-it-all tight end like Warren can be a quarterback’s best friend, obviously helping out in the passing game, but also in providing another steady blocking presence to help with the run–and that is going to be an important element for head coach Liam Coen when it comes to getting the Jaguars’ offense back on track.
