2023 NFL Draft: Why Todd McShay Thinks Brenton Strange Was Jaguars' Top Value Pick

The second-round tight end could carve out a role early on in his career.

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have raised some eyebrows when they selected Penn State tight end Brenton Strange at No. 61 overall, but not everyone was surprised. 

One person who was particularly high on Strange throughout the draft process was ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, who thinks the second-round selection was the best value the Jaguars found with their franchise-record 13 selections.

"Even though the Jaguars ended up making 10 picks on Day 3, I tentatively had Strange circled as their best pick on Saturday morning before Round 4 had kicked off. That's how much I like his game. He's possibly the most underrated player in this class and ended up No. 68 on my board. Yes, he ran a 4.70 in the 40, and yes, he never broke 400 receiving yards in a season at Penn State. But I plead you to go watch some highlights before you make an evaluation of Strange. He just wasn't targeted much in the Nittany Lions' offense and can outplay his college resume in the pros,"

McShay said.

The Jaguars franchise-tagged Evan Engram after a 766-yard season, but Strange is a different type of tight end, and they can coexist in this Jacksonville offense. Strange has good acceleration and reliable hands, and he's a smooth route runner. I don't see seam-stretching ability in his game, but he can improve there. And he will still produce big gains by hauling in intermediate-level passes and using his strength to pick up yards after the catch. Strange is also a powerful in-line blocker.

Like I mentioned with Deshaun Watson earlier, Trevor Lawrence enjoyed success at Clemson with big targets such as Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross. Adding 6-foot-4, 253-pound Strange to the receiving mix should benefit the third-year quarterback.

A four-star recruit, Strange was the no. 14 tight end in the 2019 class. Strange, 22, measured at the combine at 6-foot-3, 253 pounds and ran a 4.70 40-yard dash.

Strange caught one pass for four yards and one touchdown as a true freshman before starting five games in 2020, catching 17 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Strange then became a full-time starter in 2021, starting all 13 games and catching 20 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

Strange had his best season in 2022, starting all 13 games and catching 32 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns. Strange will now join Evan Engram, Luke Farrell, and Gerritt Prince in the tight end room.

The Jaguars initially were slotted to pick at No. 56 overall, but general manager Trent Baalke and the Jaguars made their third trade down, trading with the Chicago Bears for No. 61 and No. 135. 

"He had several conversations with some of the scouts at different times. Tyler Bowen, who coached here two years ago, was on staff, recruited him and coached him in college as a young guy. We had a lot of intel," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said after the Jaguars selected Strange.

"Sometimes you just don't want to leave a paper trail when you got a lot of information on young guys, everything checks out, all the boxes check out, everyone you talk to says the same thing about him.Again, a culture fit. Coach can talk more about the versatility of him, how he can use him, and the staff. Just a guy that really plays the game the way we want to play it."