JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- When the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher at No. 56 overall in last month's draft, they sent a clear message.
When the Jaguars followed that pick up three rounds later with Houston tight end Tanner Koziol in the fifth-round,that message became even clearer and even louder. The Jaguars wanted to restack the deck at the tight end position, and they certainly did that.
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Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, center, talks to tight end Tanner Koziol (89), right, and tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) during rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. Today was the second of a three day camp concluding Sunday. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
But while the additions of two rookie tight ends set off theoutside interest in the Jaguars' path toward an increase of multiple tight end sets, it is important not to remember a few things. One of those things is that despite the new pups in the room, Brenton Strange is still the top dog.
Strange's Role Moving Forward
The Jaguars clearly have some big plans for both tight ends,especially Boerkircher. But no matter how big those plans are, any changes to the Jaguars' tight end room or overall philosphy about the position impact Strange first and foremost as the leader and star of the room.
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Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) celebrates after catching a seven-yard pass for a touchdown thrown by quarterback Trevor Lawrence (not pictured) against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium.at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images
But even with two new tight ends added to the mix, there should not be questions about Strange, his role and value, and his likely production in 2026. Strange and his future extension are not getting moved by the influx of new names. Instead, the Jaguars are clearly hoping that injecting the room with talent should allow Strange to produce at an even higher level than before.
“Yeah, I think not only what they can maybe provide within their skill sets but also what it then allows the other guys to do, right? Like what that allows Strange [TE Brenton Strange] to do differently or more frequently, whether that's running or blocking or catching," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said after rookie minicamp on Saturday.
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Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images
"The diversity of skill sets is important. I think they're different enough but also wired similarly. That's what I think is fun about it, it allows not only those guys to go help us in their own skill sets, but also maybe help other guys in their skill sets just by adding that depth and competition.
Strange was the Jaguars' do-everything man at tight end last year for a reason. He was their versatile chess piece in both the running and passing game, and the Jaguars lost three of their four regular-season games when Strange was out of the lineup. Now, the Jaguars have tight ends who are capable as a bloocker and as a receiver to take pressure off Strange and enable him to simply do more.
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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Cameron Mitchell (43) tackles Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Could this mean the Jaguars use Strange less in max protections now that have Boerkircher? Or that the addition of Koziol and his mismatch ability as a pass-catcher could allow Strange to continue to thrive as a blocker? It certainly seems as if the Jaguars believe this could be a very real scenario. Strange is a key piece of everything the Jaguars do on offense, and the rookies do not take away from this fact.
Strange is set to have an even better season this year than he did a year ago, and not just because he is healthy this time around. Instead, Strange should be even better because the Jaguars will no longer have to use him to put out every single fire at the tight end position like the case was in 2025.
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