The Jacksonville Jaguars came out of the NFL Draft with 10 players. Understandably, Nate Boerkircher is getting the spotlight because he was their first and highest pick at No. 56. That said, the Jags also took another tight end in Round 4 that isn't garnering nearly as much attention but could end up making an immediate impact: Tanner Koziol.
While Koziol isn't nearly as good a blocker as Boerkicher, he has a skill set that could allow him to carve a niche. Of course, he'll need to get the most out of his opportunities throughout the offseason program, which is precisely what he's been doing at Organized Team Activities.
Tanner Koziol is turning heads at Jaguars OTAs
Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union says Tanner Koziol stood out in the second open OTAs practice, pointing out that the rookie tight end turned heads when he reeled in a badly placed catch.
"He made it play down the seat. He was coming right at me because I was standing in the end zone. It was a bad throw, but he was in the air, twisted his body around, made the catch, landed, and then continued running," O'Halloran said on the Duval Rundown podcast. "That was a high-level play by Kozio, and sort of asked, you know, said had me saying two things, and Jags got to steal, and why the hell was he still on the board that late in the draft?"
Later in the exchange, co-host Hays Carlyon suggested Koziol is showing enough in practice for the coaching staff to start designing plays that feature him.
Aside from Koziol, O'Halloran also heaped praise on sophomore Jabbar Muhammad, who's seeing his stock surge with OTAs underway. On a related note, John Shipley of Sports Illustrated was equally effusive of the former Houston Cougar, arguing that he's doing his best to compete for offensive snaps next season.
Below's O'Halloran's full exchange with Carlyon. His remarks about Koziol start at the 0:48 mark.
Tanner Koziol has the talent to make an impact with the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars won't release a depth chart until training camp, and even then, it will be unofficial. That said, it's fair to assume how things currently look at tight end. Brenton Strange is firmly entrenched at the top, and Nate Boerkircher will be right behind him, barring anything unexpected.
Granted, Jacksonville held Boerkircher out of practice during the open OTAs as a cautionary measure, but his absence shouldn't affect his spot on the depth chart. Couple that with the presence of veteran Quintin Morris, and Koziol could end up being No. 4 or no better than TE3.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Kozoil could carve a niche in short-yardage and especially red-zone situations. At 6'7", he has the frame to haul in contested catches.
And that's the thing, something you need to pay attention to, not what a player can't do but rather what he can. In Tanner Koziol's case, he can give the Jaguars a huge target in the passing game.
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