3 studs Jacksonville Jaguars could've drafted in Round 2 instead of Brenton Strange
• Strange could eventually become a key contributor
• But these 3 draft picks may have been much better early on
It takes a few years to truly assess a draft class. That said, you want to see your first and second-round picks have an impact right out of the gate. That hasn't been the case with tight end Brenton Strange, the player the Jacksonville Jaguars took with the 61st overall pick in 2023.
At the time of the pick, Evan Engram hadn't signed his franchise tender, so it made sense. If he held out, Strange could step in his place. If Engram returned, the rookie out of Penn State could then learn behind his veteran counterpart.
Engram ultimately signed a three-year deal to return to Jacksonville, and Strange has taken a backseat. That's not necessarily a bad thing. With Engram in the fold, Strange could take on a complementary role while he fully grasps the nuances of the position. The issue is that he's been passed over on the depth chart in favor of third-year pro Luke Farrell.
Granted, Farrell has more experience and is likely getting more playing time by virtue of having been around longer. On the other hand, the Jaguars would surely like to get better production from Strange. He may very well turn out to be a player for years to come but you don't use a Round 2 pick on a TE3.
If you ask the Jaguars' brass right now, they'll tell you that things are going according to the plan and that they expect Strange to eventually have a bigger impact. But with the benefit of hindsight, here are three players Jacksonville could've selected in this year's draft instead of Strange.
3. RB Tyjae Spears, originally went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 81
The Jaguars drafted Tank Bigsby in Round 3 expecting him to form a dominant tandem alongside Travis Etienne. So far, they haven't gotten a good return on their investment. In fact, Bigsby has actively, albeit not on purpose, hurt the offense, and is currently behind free-agent pickup D'Ernest Johnson on the depth chart.
Instead of going with Brenton Strange in Round 2, they could've rolled with Tyjae Spears, who's become a solid change-of-pace back for the Tennessee Titans. Although Spears lacks the size to be a three-down running back, he's managed to be productive behind a porous offensive line, racking up 66 carries for 329 yards.
With Derrick Henry near the twilight of his NFL career, Spears seems to be poised to become a key cog on the Titans' offense. In Jacksonville, he could've been a fine complementary player next to Travis Etienne.