Jaguars TE Coach Breaks Down Engram's Leadership, Farrell's Development and More

A year ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2021 season with major questions at tight end. Now, the Jaguars believe they are in a much different place at the position.

"I think it’s a strong part of our team right now. It’s a really good group, veteran group," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said during OTAs in May.

"[There’s] leadership in there with Dan [Arnold] and Chris [Manhertz], and even with Evan [Engram] now added there. [I] really like where Luke [Farrell] is and how he’s progressed this offseason and then the young guys are still learning"

The only two holdovers in the Jaguars tight end room from Week 1 last year are second-year tight end Luke Farrell and veteran tight end Chris Manhertz. Dan Arnold, who was added toward the middle of the season via trade last year, is returning to a big role while free-agent addition Evan Engram is slotted to be the Jaguars' top starter at the position.

But what exactly do the Jaguars see from the tight end position, player by player? Who do the Jaguars think will make an impact and where? That is where Jaguars tight ends coach Richard Angulo comes in. The former Jaguars tight end and former Baltimore Ravens tight ends coach and offensive line coach broke down the room player-by-player at the end of OTAs to give us an idea of where the Jaguars see the position.

When it comes to Engram, a former first-round pick who signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars this offseason after five years with the New York Giants, Angulo sees more than just the obvious athletic upside; he sees leadership and a hunger that has been evident from Engram since he signed with the Jaguars this March.

"He's been really good. You know, for a former first-rounder, there's no ego. He's extremely hungry to have his best year, he's extremely hungry to do his part in the offense," Angulo said. "So, you know, from the first time I met him, when he came in for a visit, I was extremely pleased just to see what his view was of coming in here and what he wanted his role to be."

Engram, who will turn 28 years old in September, has long been known as an athletic marvel at the tight end position. The No. 23 overall pick out of Ole Miss in 2017, Engram battled inconsistency and injuries during his tenure with the Giants but also flashed the talent that made him a first-rounder.

Engram has caught 262 passes for 2,828 yards and 16 touchdowns in 65 career games. In 2021, Engram appeared in 15 games and caught 46 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns.

So far, Engram's athletic ability has shined for the Jaguars. But it has also been his attitude and work ethic that have stood out.

"So just as far as work ethic, he does all the right things. He works hard. You know, he's a very blue-collar guy. So extremely pleased to have him, it's good for the guys to learn from him," Angulo said.

"He's got a lot of good things that he shares within the meeting room. So you know, it's good for us."

One of the most exciting aspects for the Jaguars' offense this year may just be combining Engram with Arnold, who was the Jaguars' most effective passing-game weapon last year before a season-ending injury.

Arnold is similar to Engram in the sense that he is a pass-catcher before a blocker and is more of an 'F' tight end who can be split out from the formation. He is more athletic than most linebackers and bigger than most defensive backs, giving the Jaguars two tight ends who can create mismatches.

"Putting those two on the field, you know, can create some mismatch problems," Angulo said. "You know, especially, I want to see them competing in training camp. You know, it would be real good for us and real good for the offense. So, yeah, you know, those two obviously should be a big factor in the offense this year and we'll just see how this plays out."

Then there is Manhertz. While Engram and Arnold will be the team's leading pass-catchers at tight end, Manhertz is the team's top blocker at the position.

Manhertz was sparingly used as a pass-catcher despite appearing in all 17 games last year, seeing nine targets and catching six passes for 71 yards and one touchdown. But where his value comes in is far beyond what he does on the stat sheet, explains Angulo.

"I mean, it shows right away as soon as we get on the field. To me, he's a top blocker in this league," Angulo said.

"He's very strong, very good at what he does. Very aggressive and physical. So it's good to have a guy like that so other guys can see it. If you don't have a guy like that in the room, it's hard to just keep taking game tapes of other people on to get it but they can see it firsthand, they can learn from him in that aspect of the game. So yeah, I'm very pleased."

As Angulo would point out, his own experience working with the offensive line in Baltimore the last five years has shown him just how valuable blocking can be from the tight end position. He saw it with Nick Boyle, one of the best blockers in the NFL at tight end, and he believes he can see it with Manhertz too.

"Because like I said, not every team has a guy like that. So to have a guy like that here -- you know, in Baltimore we had Nick Boyle. So it's just, especially for the run game. You know, being in the O-line room for last five years, you see the value in it," Angulo said.

"Especially because as a tight end, you're there to help the O-line, not hold him back. So to have him in there is great, for the guys to learn from is really good too."

Finally there is Luke Farrell -- the young gun in the tight end room. Farrell is entering his second season after the Jaguars selected him in the fifth-round (No. 145 overall) last season.

Farrell appeared in 15 games for the Jaguars last year, playing 27% of the snaps and catching seven passes for 56 yards. While his numbers may not pop off the page, he did show the Jaguars versatility last year as a blocker and pass-catcher. That versatility makes him perhaps the only Jaguars tight end who can alternate between Y and F tight end.

"To me, Luke, I love where he's at. He's done a great job this offseason. He's all ball, you know, he always takes cares of what he needs to," Angulo said. "He's a quieter guy. He kind of just stays quiet. He likes to lead from the back.

"But again, I feel comfortable putting him in any position I think to succeed in anything we want him to do. So being able to handle Y and F if needed. But you know. Yeah, he's a good young guy who should make some big strides this year."