The Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the best offenses in 2025. However, they aren't resting on their laurels. The team's brass mostly sat out free agency but drafted a handful of players who will give the passing game another dimension.
See, the Jags want to run more two and three-tight-end sets next season. They tried to do it last year but didn't have the personnel. To remedy the issue, they drafted Nate Boerkircher and Koziol. While general manager James Gladstone was blasted for their selection (especially Boerkircher), Jacksonville expects big things from both of their tight ends.
Whereas Boerkircher was held out of practice at Organized Team Activities, Koziol managed to make a strong impression and has suddenly seen his stock surge ahead of training camp.
Rookie Tanner Koziol was a standout at Jaguars OTAs
Eric Edholm of NFL Media drew up a list of things he learned during mandatory minicamp. He argues that he wasn't thrilled about the Jaguars' draft class but believes they might have an intriguing rookie tight end in Tanner Koziol.
The Jaguars drafted TE Nate Boerkircher with their top pick this year, late in Round 2, and he's expected to have a role as a two-way, in-line tight end, even after missing much of the offseason program with an injury," Edholm wrote. "Instead, it was the Jagu¡ars' second TE pick, Tanner Koziol, who has reportedly opened eyes."
Edholm continued, "Unlike Boerkircher, Koziol is more of a 'detached' tight end -- better suited for slot duty than in-line work. Koziol is more of a receiver than a blocker, but he's a king-sized target at 6-foot-7 and nearly 250 pounds, reportedly making several grabs in practice sessions open to the media.
Throughout mandatory camp, Koziol made a jaw-dropping catch nearly every day. He'll next need to show he can do it when the pads go on, but he's most definitely built his stock ahead of training camp.
Keep in mind that Nate Boerkircher will still be TE2 even after missed time during mandatory minicamp. Nevertheless, Koziol did enough to make you think that he could move ahead of veterans Quintin Morris and Hunter Long on the depth chart.
Tanner Koziol could give the Jaguars offense a massive target
Tanner Koziol's blocking skills, or lack thereof, may limit his role on offense, but he could most definitely carve a niche on offense. Sure, Liam Coen's scheme asks its tight ends to block, which is partly why Jacksonville moved on from Evan Engram and rolled with Brenton Strange in 2025.
Although Engram was a heck of a pass-catcher, he didn't offer much in the blocking department. Unlike him, Koziol isn't expected to start but rather to create mismatches in the passing game. Think of Darren Waller or Mike Gesicki. Neither was a functional blocker, but both of them gave their respective teams a huge target in the slot.
Granted, Koziol has his work cut out but certainly has the traits to develop into a tight end in the mold of Waller or Gesicki. This doesn't mean it will happen, but he has the tools. His size, specifically, would give Trevor Lawrence a huge target in the red zone.
We'll need to wait until the regular season to truly know just what kind of impact Tanner Koziol will have as a rookie. But based on how things are playing out, it looks like the Jaguarus may have found a draft gem.
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