REPORT: 2023 Draft Pick Highlighted as Jaguars' Breakout Candidate in 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Brenton Strange in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In Year 2, Strange could have a breakout performance.

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 have plenty of weapons for quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He can hand off to Travis Etienne. He will have Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. to throw to. At tight end, Evan Engram is one of the best in the league.

The Jaguars are looking to become a more vertical team in 2024, and head coach Doug Pederson might be more susceptible to taking shots down the field, playing aggressively. Engram is the go-to tight end, but Brenton Strange could be a factor, too.

In a recent list of "out of nowhere" breakout candidates, CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso included Strange.

"Strange is directly behind 114-catch man Evan Engram in the tight end room. But let's not forget, Eagles coach Doug Pederson has history deploying two tight ends as focal points of the offense," Trapasso wrote. "In Philadelphia, under Pederson's watch, Dallas Goedert blossomed into the borderline elite player he is today after Zach Ertz set the record for most receptions in a single season by a tight end in NFL history with 116. In short, there's room for Strange in the Jaguars offense, even with newcomers at receiver like first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis. And, like Engram, Strange is a freaky athletic specimen.

"At nearly 6-4 and 253 pounds, the former Penn State star ran 4.7 and had a vertical and broad jump in the 82nd and 91st percentile at the tight end position. The receiving chops are there too. Strange caught 52 passes for 587 yards with eight touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Nittany Lions. In what could amount to a make-or-break year for Pedersen, I'm looking forward to seeing Strange as a contributing TE2 in this Jacksonville offense."

Trapasso's analysis of Strange's ability rings true to what draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the tight end in his draft report.

"H-back option with a compact frame and a nice blend of athleticism and toughness to fuel his game. Strange gets after it as a lead blocker, in-line or in space," Zierlein wrote. "There are technique issues that need to be ironed out, but the demeanor and play strength are where they need to be to succeed.

"While his catch production is pedestrian, he’s athletic in his routes and is an above-average runner after the catch. In a draft filled with high-quality tight end talent, Strange could fly under the radar as a future starter with the potential to operate as a hybrid, three-down talent."

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