The Jacksonville Jaguars made upgrades to several position groups in the offseason but didn't make any meaningful additions at tight end. In fact, you could make the case that they downgraded after letting Evan Engram walk in free agency and not bringing in an adequate replacement. Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus came up with a possible fix, although it's not an enticing one.
Cameron drew up a list of one last move each AFC team should make after the draft and suggested that Jacksonville give the Denver Broncos a call about Noah Fant, citing the need to fill the void left by Engram's departure.
"Evan Engram‘s surprise release this offseason was a cost-saving measure, as the tight end was scheduled for a $19.48 million cap hit in 2025. The move netted just under $6 million in cap savings but left a hole in the roster.
Jacksonville could turn around and use that cap savings to acquire a cheaper alternative at tight end in Seattle’s Noah Fant. While Fant isn’t a game-breaking threat, he has ranked in the 83rd percentile at beating zone coverage over the past three seasons. "
A second-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2019, Fant was traded to the Hawks in 2022. He's appeared in 95 games with 83 starts and hauled in 300 receptions for 3,305 yards with 14 touchdowns. As Cameron says, the former Iowa Hawkeye is far from flash, but gets the job done. This leads to the question: Would it really make sense for the Jaguars to trade for him?
The Jaguars moved on from Engram before free agency to free up $6 million in space. Aside from the savings, they might've felt comfortable moving on from him because sophomore Brenton Strange stepped up during his absence in 2024 and showed that he is ready for a bigger role.
To replace Engram, they signed Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt. Part of the reason they were brought in was their familiarity with the new regime. Head coach Liam Coen and general manager met the latter during their time with the Los Angeles Rams, while offensive coordinator Grant Udinki got to coach both of them with the Minnesota Vikings.
Both are viable backups, but probably not much else. Mundt's best season came last year when he tallied 19 catches for 142 yards with two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Long has 12 career catches. That's not the kind of production that inspires confidence in case Strange has to miss time in 2025. That said, Gladstone is bullish on Long, citing all the adversity he's dealt with through his football career dating back to his days at Boston College.
On the other hand, both Mundt and Long are relatively unproven, and that lack of experience could prompt the front office to make additions to the tight end room before the regular season.
Does it make sense for the Jaguars to trade for Noah Fant with Brenton Strange in the mix?
While Noah Fant isn't a Pro Bowl-caliber talent, he's the kind of depenable target that can serve as an escape valve for quarterbacks. The issue is that the the Jaguars won't prioritize the tight end position under LIam Coen.
Brian Thomas Jr. will be the No. 1 receiver. Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter will also get their fair share of targets. Rookie running backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen are adept at catching the football out of the backfield, so they could also play an important role in the passing game. That would leave Brenton Strange as the fourth or fifth option. If he misses time, Hunter Long or Johnny Mundt could step in, and the offense probably wouldn't miss a beat.
You could bring up the fact that tight end Cade Otton had 59 receptions for 600 yards with four touchdowns under Coen last year. But that was mostly the result of him having to adjust the offense after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dealt with injuries. This isn't to say that Strange won't get any targets next season, but rather that he won't have as many targets as Evan Engram got during his stint in Jacksonville. This brings us to Noah Fant.
Trading for Fant would cost a fourth or fifth-round pick. The Jaguars have shown that they're not afraid to make any moves if they think it will improve the roster, but acquiring the Seahawks tight end would be a luxury they currently don't need.
The bottom line is that Noah Fant could most definitely help several teams if Seattle decides to place him on the trade block. But the Jaguars aren't one of them.