2023 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars best, worst, and most intriguing picks

Jacksonville Jaguars most intriguing pick in the 2023 NFL Draft: Brenton Strange, TE

Louisville edge defender Yasir Abdullah (Round 5) deserved consideration as the Jaguars' most intriguing pick in the 2023 draft but Black & Teal's own Beau Adams just wrote about why he's an upgrade to defensive end Arden Key, who joined the Tennessee Titans in free agency.

Safety Antonio Johnson -- another fifth-round pick -- is also a promising prospect due to his ability to line up at different spots in the defensive backfield. However, tight end Brenton Strange is arguably Jacksonville's most intriguing prospect.

At first, this seemed like an odd pick. It's true that Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta, and Luke Musgrave were off the board by the time the Jaguars selected Strange. The fact that he didn't seem to be on the team's radar ahead of the draft made him a bit of a surprise at No. 61 but head coach Doug Pederson pounded the table for him and given his success at developing tight ends, it's hard to disagree with the pick.

Tight end wasn't an immediate need for the Jaguars due to the presence of Evan Engram, who got slapped with the franchise tag, but they needed to add depth after the departures of Dan Arnold and Chris Manhertz in free agency.

Strange gives the Jaguars a player that excels at creating yards after the contact. Although he needs to work on his pass-blocking skills, he's got the potential to earn a featured role in case Engram leaves in 2024. The fact that the Jaguars don't have to rush him into action will allow him to work on his craft.

All in all, when it comes to the Strange pick, the biggest downside is that he might not see the field often in his rookie campaign. However, the Jags selected him in Round 2 because of his potential impact down the road.