Is Jaguars' Brenton Strange Ready to Be TE1?

It's a new era in Duval County as the Jacksonville Jaguars bolster a new regime with the mindset for returning to not just postseason contention but remaining perennial in that regard.

Head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone have enacted a new culture within the organization that is just a couple of months old, but it is one that they hope could translate to success.

One of the new things within the franchise is the tight end position that has undergone change this offseason. Gone is veteran Evan Engram, who was released before the start of free agency. In are two new players at the position that includes Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt.

However, what is new is now the preceived No. 1 tight end on the roster: third-year player Brenton Strange, who emerged as a potential developmental player that could start by his third season out of Penn State. The former second-round draft choice in 2023 caught 40 passes for 411 yards and two touchdowns as he took over for the injured Engram.

Strange saw a career game against the New York Jets in week 14 when he caught 11 passes for 73 yards. Throughout the season, he flashed reliability as a pass catcher who brought athleticism, adequate size, and progression as a blocker in the trenches. This may have encouraged Coen enough when he arrived in Jacksonville that the team chose not to add another adequate playmaker at tight end.