4 tight ends the Jacksonville Jaguars should pursue in the offseason

The Jaguars are on a desperate search for a franchise tight end.

Four of Jacksonville’s tight ends are set to hit free agency after the season. While Tyler Eifert and James O’Shaughnessy might be worth bringing back on minimal deals but they aren’t capable of being the starting guy. There a few players in mind who could very much prove valuable for the Jaguar’s progress on offense going forward.

Jacob Hollister

Jacob Hollister had a breakout year in 2019 with the Seattle Seahawks and continues to make the most of his limited opportunities there. Last season, he was one of Russell Wilson‘s favorite targets but has been a bit overshadowed this season due to a crowded tight end room.

Just before the 2020 NFL trade window closed, the Seahawks were rumored to be shopping Hollister. They originally traded a seventh-round draft pick for Hollister in early 2019, and because of how well he did in Seattle, they placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on him in the offseason to keep him around one more year.

Hollister is set to hit free agency in the offseason, barring another deal with Seattle.

David Njoku

David Njoku‘s time in Cleveland has slowly felt like it’s coming to an end. During the offseason, Njoku had requested a trade before the deadline but apparently still wants out of Cleveland even after going back on his word.

The Browns feel to be edging out Njoku, as they signed Austin Hooper as a free agent in March and drafted Harrison Bryant in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Njoku has only been targeted 14 times this season—granted he did start the season on injured reserve— while Hooper has been targeted 40 times and Bryant 21.

The Browns exercised Njoku’s fifth-year option in April, keeping him under contract through the 2021 season.

Evan Engram

The Giants could use a lot of draft capital right now to help their rebuild. Sometimes that means sacrificing some of their best players. Evan Engram is one candidate that Giants could end up considering trading.

Engram had a solid rookie year with the Giants but hasn’t amounted to a whole lot since. His career has been plagued with injuries and his body and morale are being constantly broken down due to losing. A new team and a fresh start could do Engram some good.

The Jaguars should do whatever it takes to draft Kyle Pitts

The Jaguars have their chance of grabbing their own Travis Kelce and George Kittle in the 2021 NFL Draft. Florida’s Kyle Pitts is easily the best tight end in this draft, and very well one of the better prospects in recent years.

Jacksonville needs someone like Pitts on their offense. Pitts feels like a rare prospect when it comes to his talent. He doesn’t just feel like a dual-threat receiver, but more. He’s a distractor, an innovator. He’s incredibly versatile who can line up at the line of scrimmage, in the slot, or as a wideout.

He can easily be a premiere part of the Jaguars offense. Pitts’ athleticism and catch radius will have teams fighting for him.