Jaguars news: Intriguing Sammis Reyes gives Jacksonville another option at tight end

The Jacksonville Jaguars have rebuilt their tight end room after letting Chris Manhertz and Dan Arnold in free agency. First, the Jags selected Penn State's Brenton Strange in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, they have added Sammis Reyes, who will have a steep hill to climb to make the roster but brings lots of athletic ability to the position.

The Jags announced Monday that they signed Reyes and released safety Deionte Thompson. Born in Chile, Reyes signed with the Washington Commanders in 2021 and spent the 2022 season on the Chicago Bears practice squad.

Reyes played basketball in high school and college before switching to football. While on a tour in the United States at the age of 14, he caught the eye of a scout who offered him a scholarship to play at Westlake Prep.

Reyes had originally committed to play college hoop at Hawaii but ended up attending Palm Beach State College before transferring to Tulane. After graduating, he applied for the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program and landed in Washington, where he appeared in 11 games with one start.

Other tight ends on the Jaguars roster besides Strange and Reyes include Evan Engram, who got the franchise tag, 2021 fifth-round pick Luke Farrell and 2022 undrafted free agent Gerrit Prince.

Sammis Reyes could be a low-key great pickup for the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars applied the franchise tag on Evan Engram to keep him from walking in free agency but if they can't strike a long-term deal before the July 17 deadline, he'll hit the open market in 2024. Whether the former Ole Miss Rebel leaves next year, the team's brass is rebuilding their tight end room.

Brenton Strange will start the 2023 season behind Engram on the depth chart but he could step into a feature role next year. Also, Luke Farrell could see more playing time after the departure of Chris Manhertz, whose main role was as a blocker. There's also Gerrit Prince, who needed time to develop before he could be ready to compete for a roster spot.

It's uncertain how many tight ends Jacksonville wants to carry in 2023 but Reyes will probably need to work his way up the depth chart if he wants to be in the active roster next season. If he doesn't make the cut, he could then spend the year in the practice squad, where he would have the chance to keep sharpening his skills.

Either way, the Jags were smart for taking a flyer on Reyes. As analyst Thor Nystrom noted, Reyes is "the most-athletic size-adjusted tight end" in league history. In a later post on social media, Nystrom says that Reyes could be the next successful player to come out of the International Player Pathway Program.

Jordan Mailata has become a staple of the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line after getting drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. Moritz Bohringer wasn't as successful as Mailata but like Reyes, lined up at tight end in the NFL.

It's too early to tell whether Reyes will make the Jacksonville Jaguars' 53-man roster in 2023 but if he doesn't, it won't be for a lack of athletic ability.