3 Training Camp Questions for Jaguars TEs: Brenton Strange's Expectations

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Training camp is only 10 days away for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and that means a further look at every aspect of the roster. So, why not take a look at the part of the roster that has the latest player to sign a big-money deal?

Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange is set to lead the tight end room for the second year in a row, and the Jaguars made him one of the NFL's highest-paid tight ends as a show of their trust in him, doing so last month.

So, what do we make of Strange and the tight end room ahead of training camp? We break it down with three questions about the Jaguars' tight end group.

What will an expanded role look like for Brenton Strange?

Brenton Strange had the best year of his entire career in 2025 despite missing five entire games with injury in the middle of the year. With Strange now at 100% and with the Jaguars putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to his value, the expectations for Strange entering 2026 are higher than they have ever been.

Strange has so far made his bones in the NFL as a blocker, producing a number of highlight blocks to pave the way for big plays in the Jaguars' running game. His passing game production has also improved every year in his career, and he has shown the ability to win after the catch, downfield, as a possession target, and with his route-running. In short, there is nothing the Jaguars think he really can not do.

That means entering his fourth season, Strange will be expected to really hit his stride. The Jaguars' improved depth around Strange at the tight end room should allow him to expand his role in the passing game, though he will still have to contend for targets with a talented Jaguars receiver room that consists of Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Travis Hunter.

Strange is arguably one of the most important pieces of the Jaguars' offense, and all signs point to him continuing to elevate his game with a healthy season in 2026. What that will mean exactly for his passing game numbers could determine the ceiling of the Jaguars' offense this season.

Will Nate Boerkircher make an impact outside of the running game?

The narrative about the Nate Boerkircher selection has been all over the place since the Jaguars turned the No. 56 pick in, and his relatively quiet offseason did not do much to change this. With that said, it feels like a foregone conclusion that Boerkircher will be the team's No. 2 tight end as they lean more on multiple tight end sets.

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen himself has said that he likes 12 personnel in particular, which would likely mean the No. 2 tight end has to be a player like Boerkircher who can hold his own on the line of scrimmage. This makes it obvious what kind of role Boerkircher will have as a blocker, whether on run plays or as an in-line pass-blocker on passing downs while Brenton Strange is flexed out. But what about the passing game?

The passing game is clearly where the Jaguars think Boerkircher has some untapped upside. He was not targeted much in his college career, and especially not in his final season at Texas A&M as they spread the ball around to their wide receiver room, which included first-rounder KC Concepcion.

"I think has a lot more in his body than was probably displayed throughout the season when they were throwing the ball a lot to those wide-outs and Concepcion and those guys, when every opportunity he had throughout the off-season process, to go put it on tape, that he could, and that there was that in his body and that he did have those capabilities, it showed up in a major way," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said

The Jaguars will be betting on that evaluation, but the question of actual passing game production could be a big question even if the Jaguars are right about Boerkircher. The same thing that prevented Boerkircher from putting up big numbers at Texas A&M is still going to be relevant with the Jaguars' deep room of pass-catcher, which makes the production a big question entering training camp and beyond.

Who wins the TE3 job?

tanner kozio — Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Tanner Koziol (89) walks off the field during the third day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It feels pretty certain we know how the Jaguars' top two tight end roles will play out. The Jaguars would not have spent the No. 56 pick on Boerkircher without having faith in him stepping into that role, which means there might actually be more intrigue with the No. 3 tight end role. The Jaguars had Hunter Long, Johnny Mundt and Quintin Morris each take turns in the role a year ago, and the spot looks a bit different now.

Long and Morris are still in the fold, with Morris re-signing with the Jaguars this offseason and with Long remaining with the team as they moved on from Mundt instead. The selection of Tanner Koziol in the fifth-round of April's draft has sure made things interesting for the No. 3 tight end spot, though, considering both the draft pick used to select him and the fact that he had a red-hot offseason.

Koziol is clearly going to make the roster as one of the 53 players out of training camp, which means Morris and Long might be fighting for a roster spot in general. Morris made big strides last year and is more of a complete tight end, while Long has more passing game upside. Koziol, meanwhile, is more of a big receiver and could see an early role as a red-zone package player as a rookie.

How much the No. 3 tight end role actually matters in the Jaguars' offense remains to be seen, but an emphasis on the tight end role this offseason suggests it will be a more significant piece of the offense than a year ago.

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