Is There Enough Depth At Tight End For The Jacksonville Jaguars?

Who will step up at the tight end position for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018?

The biggest shock of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2018 NFL Draft may have been the team neglecting to address the need for more depth at the tight end position. The Jaguars did sign Austin Seferian-Jenkins in the offseason and have both James O’Shaughnessy and Ben Koyack on the roster and recently signed Zach Conque after the team’s three-day rookie minicamp.

I question whether that is enough for a team that did not get huge production from the position last season. Gone is Marcedes Lewis, who had his contract exercised for $3.5 million before he was released in March. Lewis caught only 24 passes for 318 yards, but did have five touchdowns, which led the team.

The one thing Lewis did better than most at the tight end position is block. And when the passing game was poor in years past, having a “third tackle” on the field made the running game better.

With the players on the current roster, will one of them supplant Lewis and his scoring ability? Here are a few things to consider from the Jaguars’ tight end position.

Seferian-Jenkins, who signed as a free agent from the New York Jets, caught 50 passes last season but managed a meager 7 yards-per-reception. The 25-year-old will need better production in terms of yards per catch if the Jaguars are going to use the tight end position more on third down and in the red zone.

I like James O’Shaughnessy, but we haven’t seen enough of him. The former New England Patriots’ practice squad player could be a Pete Mitchell-type of player in offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s game plan. At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, he is agile enough to catch passes over the middle and can be used in multiple packages. His career stats, however, 22 catches for 235 yards and a touchdown, suggest he cannot be counted on to shoulder the load as a lead player at the position.