Trevor Lawrence Sees Key Advantages in Jaguars' Seismic TE Shift

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Perhaps the story of the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason has been their shift at the tight end position.

No, the Jaguars are not about to sideline their deep group of wide receivers. Liam Coen loves airing the ball out and will still want Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Travis Hunter on the field.

But the additions of several new faces at tight end have made it clear that Jacksonville is going to have a higher emphasis on the position than a year ago.

For Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the advantages in the shift of philosophy -- no matter how significant that shift is -- can only help the Jaguars take another step forward.

Lawrence Weighs In

“I think it's great. You see things that just kind of around the league come and go and new trends and new things that try to give one side of the ball an advantage," Lawrence said after Tuesday's OTA practice.

trevor lawrenc — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence speaks during a press conference at the Miller Electric Center, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"There's a lot of stuff on defense, it's the same thing, it's just obviously their side of the ball, but things that come in that feel like it might give you the advantage. You know what type of personnels you're going to get."

It is not as if the Jaguars did not deploy 12 and 13 formations last season; they certainly tried to considering they ranked around the league average in usage of both formations. But the Jaguars were not very effective at it because defenses frankly did not respect the roles of Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt.

The hope for the Jaguars now is that by adding more dynamic talent to the position behind star tight end Brenton Strange, they will be able to take advantage of how defenses line up and react to the Jaguars' offensive approach. The Jaguars drafted Nate Boerkircher at No. 56 and Tanner Koziol in the fifth-round, options who should give the Jaguars a higher ceiling both in the running and passing game when it comes to multiple tight end sets.

Boerkircher gives the Jaguars a clear upgrade in the running game. In 2025, finished first among SEC tight ends in run blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus, and he has the traits to step into the offense and make an impact right off the bat as a blocker as he develops his pass-catching.

Then there is Koziol, who was incredibly productive in college as a receiver. His 74 receptions led tight ends nationally, while his 727 receiving yards ranked second and his six touchdowns were fifth. Between these two rookies, the Jaguars have given Lawrence and their offense a chance to push the envelop in terms of their scheme.

"You can find some mismatches if you have really good tight ends, which we have a great crew of tight ends, and then obviously running the ball's great, all that. There are so many options that you can do and you kind of know at least what type of personnel you're going to get on defense that's going to come out there," Lawrence said.

"So, it can be a little bit easier to predict, but defenses adjust really quickly. And I'm sure this year you're going to see a lot more adjustments on the defensive side too. It's one of those things where we'll just have to see where all that goes.”

The Jaguars are not going to completely shred last year's offensive scheme and playbook just because they added a pair of rookie tight ends. But the Jaguars made it clear at the draft, both through their words and actions, that they are prepared to follow the NFL's shifting trends at the tight end position.

in doing so, the Jaguars are giving their frachise quarterback another way to find an edge entering 2026. After a year in which the Jaguars finished as one of the hottest offenses in the NFL and Lawrence finished as an MVP finalist, the sky is the limit for the offense this season. The tight end position is set to determine whether the Jaguars reach that limit.

Continue to expect Brenton Strange to be the top option for the Jaguars at the position. That was never in question, even with the additions of Boerkircher and Koziol. But the depth and talent behind Strange has taken a big leap this season, and Lawrence sees exactly how the Jaguars can take advantage of their shift.

If Lawrence has an even better year in 2026, look for the tight end position as a reason why.

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