One surprising position Jaguars neglected in 2025 NFL Draft (and that's fine)

The Jacksonville Jaguars did a good job of addressing immediate needs in free agency and later continued raising the ceiling in the NFL Draft. However, they had a finite number of picks, so they couldn't properly take care of all positions. There are a few that could still use a boost, and tight end is the one that stands out the most.

The Jags entered the draft with 10 picks and ended up taking nine players after a series of trades. While they double-dipped at positions such as safety and running back, they didn't use a single selection on a tight end prospect.

After the draft, general manager James Gladstone told the local media that they didn't want to reach for a need. He was referring to the defensive line, but he could just as well be talking about the tight end room. Leaving that aside, it's understandable why the Jags didn't prioritize the position.

Brenton Strange, a second-round pick in 2023, was a non-factor as a rookie but made a leap last year. He filled in for Evan Engram and showed he was capable of stepping into a featured role, registering 40 catches for 411 yards with two touchdowns.

Strange's leap last year made it easier for the Jags to move on from Engram in the offseason. However, they might not have done enough to fill the void left by his departure.

After Engram's release, Jacksonville signed Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt in free agency. Both are fine reserve players who could step into Strange's place if he misses a few games. That said, neither might be suited for an increased workload if he misses significant time.

One reason the Jaguars might not have added depth behind Brenton Strange in the NFL Draft

If Brenton Strange goes down with injury, the Jacksonville Jaguars could give the Philadelphia Eagles a call and see what it would take to trade for tight end Dallas Goedert. That said, there's a reason why they may feel comfortable rolling with Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long as the backups: The offense won't revolve around the tight end position.

Back in 2023, the Jaguars fed Evan Engram the ball because they didn't have a bona fide No. 1 receiver. He saw a decrease in targets last year after the arrival of rookie superstar Brian Thomas Jr. With Travis Hunter and Dyami Brown now in the mix, Strange will be the fourth or fifth option in the passing game, and that's without taking the rookie duo of Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen into account.

And that's the thing, if Strange misses time, the Jaguars will ask Mundt or Long to hold the fort rather than expect them to play a big role on the offense.

Could the Jags have added upgrades at tight end in the draft? You bet, but they had more pressing needs, so it's undertandable that they skip the position altogether. On top of that, the cupboard isn't entirely bare. Maybe they can't prioritize the position in 2026, but it wasn't necessary this year.

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