Emerging Jaguars Weapon a Sign of Smart Development?

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost a big target in tight end Evan Engram. The emergence of Brenton Strange could be make a difference for an offense looking to find it's footing. It will hinge upon player development.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) sprints to the sideline on a 7 yard pass play late in the second quarter. The Jaguars led 20 to 10 at the end of the first half. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the Jaguars first preseason game of the season Saturday, August10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars' loss of star tight end Evan Engram was a massive blow. That it happened just before kickoff against their Week 2 opponent, the Cleveland Browns, was all the more devastating.

However, the "next man up", 2023 second-round pick Brenton Strange showed the Jaguars he could be a viable option. Strange caught three passes on six targets for 65 receiving yards, second only behind wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who had 94 yards.

Strange was not projected to be selected as high as the second round. Sport's Illustrated's NFL Draft Bible rated Strange a fourth-round talent. But there was a lot to like.

"Strange is an athletically enticing prospect who offers ideal acceleration, understanding of zone coverage, motor, and scheme versatility as a blocker," it read.

A telling detail of his report was his projection as a No. 2 tight end, a role he has filled adequately so far.

"Strange should enter the NFL and immediately serve as a functional second tight end on the depth chart."

Strange is a raw prospect. He has a lot of tools and traits. But with Engram down, he can be a serviceable filler if not a competent starter.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence touched on with reporters the importance of Strange's stepping up.

"So, you're missing a big piece of your offense, but great  teams figure out a way to next-man-up, to step up and make the plays, which Brenton did a  great job of that," Lawrence said. "I was proud of the way he responded. I'm not surprised. I think he's been working in the dark for a while, and he finally had an opportunity. Obviously, it's unfortunate the way it comes about with Evan getting dinged before the game, but either way, he stepped up and made the plays when his number was called and had a lot of trust in him. Nothing really dropped off as far as my trust in that position. If he's the guy that's open, I'm going to get it to him and I'm going to trust him to go win his one-on-ones, all those things and you saw him do that in the game.

"So that was really encouraging, not surprising, but definitely cool to see the guy step up, especially such late notice. I mean, it's not like he's getting ready for the game thinking, ‘All right, I'm in Evan's spot and I'm getting these targets  and these looks.’ You never know how games are going to go anyway, but at least, usually, you have time to prepare for that. It was right before the game. He had to kind of shift his  mindset of he plays a lot already, but now he's got a different role. So, it was cool to see him  play well and respond that way."

Strange's emergence as a viable target is imperative for the Jaguars. The offense needs to execute, and more big catches from Strange can be a big difference-maker for this offense. Strange was and is a bit of a project.

For Pederson and Co., developing players like Strange could be the difference between playoffs and a losing season.

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