JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There’s a huge void that’s been left in the Jaguars’ offense following the departures of Evan Engram and Christian Kirk, two of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets throughout his career thus far. There’s a third-year tight end who’s ready to prove he can step up and fill it.
It’s certainly a concern or area of interest in training camp. Will Brian Thomas Jr continue to cement himself as the Jaguars’ primary target? What impact will Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown have on the offense? How will Brenton Strange handle his new role as the Jaguars starting tight end?
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Historically, Trevor Lawrence has adored targeting the slot and tight ends. Among the top 32 quarterbacks, Lawrence has targeted the slot second most (36.3%) and tight ends fifth most (24.5%) throughout his career.
That’s only part of the equation when it comes to Brenton Strange, who believes his versatility can offer the Jaguars’ offense far more than simply filling in as a pass-catcher. In an exclusive interview with Action Sports Jax’s Brent Martineau and Austen Lane, Strange discussed what makes him special as a player.
“I think my biggest skill set since I came into the NFL, even in college, has just been my versatility. I think that the coaches are going to ask me to do a lot. I’m excited to do that because that’s what I pride myself on, being able to do everything that they ask me to do, whether that’s catching passes or run-blocking, pass-blocking,” Strange told The Brent & Austen Show.
“I think that the best tight ends in the league are able to do everything, and that’s what I want to do for this team,” Strange continued.
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If you look at how the Jaguars utilized Brenton Strange last season compared to Evan Engram, it’s easy to see just how different a player Strange is. According to data provided by Pro Football Focus, Strange blocked on a little under 50% of his total snaps (49.7%), while Engram did so on just 30.3% of his.
It’s something that Liam Coen prioritizes from his tight ends. In Tampa Bay, Cade Otton, Payne Durham, and Ko Kieft blocked on 42.6%, 64.8%, and 91.4% of their total offensive snaps, respectively.
Despite Coen’s love for his tight ends and their ability to block, he ran his offense out of the 12 personnel far below league average, 21st in the league. The vast majority of their plays (71.21%) were run out of 11 personnel, eight highest in the league.
Brenton Strange is a big question mark heading into the 2025 season. The opportunity is there for him to establish himself as the Jaguars’ starting tight end going forward and utilize his versatility to help propel this Jaguars’ offense into playoff contention.
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