TE Gerrit Prince named Jaguars most exciting UDFA addition

Coming off a 3-14 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have spent the last few months trying to fortify their roster. However, there’s only so much an NFL team can do in one offseason and the Jags couldn’t address all their position needs. In particular, their tight end room could have used a bit more help in the draft but they didn’t use a single pick in the unit. Instead, they signed UAB’s Gerrit Prince as an undrafted free agent. Then again, the former Blazer has caught the eye of Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report.

Sobleski recently discussed every NFL team’s most exciting undrafted free agent and Prince made the list. Sobleski notes that the Jaguars’ tight end unit isn’t settled yet in spite of the resources they’ve invested. He believes Prince is an enticing prospect based on his skill set.

"Prince led all FBS tight ends last season with an average of 19.5 yards per reception. His 10 touchdowns tied for third among the position group. At 6’5″ and 240 pounds, Prine isn’t a traditional in-line option. He needs to improve his play strength and possibly add bulk to provide much of anything as blocker. However, he runs a sub-4.7-second 40-yard dash, can threaten the seam and creates after the catch. Considering how valuable athletic targets are in today’s game, Prince can be another weapon for the Jaguars."

The Jaguars signed Evan Engram to a one-year deal to round out a tight end group that includes Dan Arnold, Chris Manhertz, and Luke Ferrell. Arnold should get plenty of targets in 2022 after suffering an MCL sprain that forced him to miss several games last year.

Gerrit Prince faces an uphill battle to make the Jaguars’ roster.

Keep in mind that Gerrit Prince isn’t the only undrafted tight end that will be competing for a roster spot on the Jaguars’ roster in 2022. Naz Bohannon tried out at their rookie minicamp and is poised to get a closer look throughout the summer. The former Clemson Tiger was one of four players Jacksonville announced they signed just a few days ago. A basketball player throughout his collegiate career, Bohannon hasn’t played football since high school but standing at 6’6″ and 232 pounds, he is an intriguing developmental prospect.

As of this writing, both Prince and Bohannon seem like a long shot to make the team and are a better bet to land in the practice squad. Then again, Chris Manhertz, Dan Arnold, and Evan Engram are all slated to become free agents next year, so Prince and Bohannon could develop in 2022 and earn a role down the role if they show enough promise.

Working in Prince’s and Bohannon’s is that the Jaguars don’t have to rush to make a decision. They can assess them during training camp and the preseason. Then again, they will really have to stand out if either one wants to stick around.

The Jaguars’ scouting department has done a good job of finding undrafted gems and both Prince and Bohannon could be next. However, it may be better to wait until training camp to have a clear idea of where they stand before anointing either one as the next big thing.