What is the State of the Jaguars’ Tight End Room Ahead of the Draft?
In only a few weeks, the 2020 NFL Draft will at last commence. This year's draft will obviously be dramatically different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced the draft to become a completely virtual event. But nonetheless, the show marches on.
While we gear up in preparation for the draft, we will be looking at each position group on the Jaguars' roster to gauge where it stands before this month's draft. Which groups need more attention, and which appear to be set?
In this edition, we take a look at the Jaguars' tight end group, which will be led by free agent signing Tyler Eifert and second-year player Josh Oliver, a third-round selection in 2019 and the highest-drafted tight end in the Dave Caldwell era. Are the Jaguars set at the position, or do they still need some help?
What the Jaguars have said about the group
"With Tyler [Eifert], I have always liked him. Tyler has been a guy that really [has dealt with some things] injury wise and last season being able to play a full season," head coach Doug Marrone said on March 31. "Talking with him, it is obviously the first offseason that he is healthy. What you see in him is someone that is a three-down tight end who can obviously sustain himself in the run game and is a vertical threat. He is really savvy as far as being able to sit down in zone, being able to make moves and being able to get open. It is something that we have not had here for a while.
"We think that bringing Tyler in is going to help a player like Josh Oliver who is going to be behind him and be able to see him. Also, you can see both of those players on the field at the same time. James O’Shaughnessy is rehabbing. We can’t wait to get him back. We really felt that he was playing his best football right before his injury. Charles [Jones] is a tight end that we have and we were happy we were able to get him some work last year. Again, it is still a position that we are still looking to upgrade and get ourselves players.”
We are actually looking for some of our rookies last year to kind of take the jump that we always talk about. Josh Oliver and Quincy Williams with an offseason, they need to take the jump and do what DJ [Chark] did last year for us," general manager Dave Caldwell said at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Who the Jaguars have lost in 2020
Presently, there are four tight ends that were on the Jaguars' roster in 2019 who are no longer with the team, though two of these players were only brought in because of injuries at the position.
Veteran tight end Geoff Swaim signed a free agency contract with the Jaguars in the 2019 offseason, but his time with the Jaguars was short. His lone season in Jacksonville ended after six games when a concussion and ankle injury placed him on injured reserve. He caught 13 passes for 65 yards before being released by the Jaguars for cap relief this offseason.
Seth DeValve was claimed by the Jaguars on waivers before the 2019 season began, but he spent only one season with the team and signed with the Carolina Panthers earlier this offseason. The fifth-year tight end caught 12 passes for 140 yards in 12 games in Jacksonville.
Nick O'Leary was a late addition to the Jaguars' roster in 2019, signing with the team as a free agent after Oliver ended up on injured reserve with a back injury following Week 11. O'Leary, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, caught nine passes for 72 yards and one touchdown in five games with the Jaguars, making him one of only two Jaguars' tight ends to catch a touchdown last season.
Ben Koyack has been on and off of the Jaguars' roster since the team drafted him in 2016, and this past season was no different. He played in 11 games for Jacksonville in 2019, catching one pass for nine yards. He is currently an unsigned free agent.
Who the Jaguars currently have at the position
Tyler Eifert: 29-years-old, 59 career starts. Entering eighth season. Caught 43 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.
Josh Oliver: 23-years-old, one career start. Entering second season. Caught three passes for 15 yards in 2019.
James O'Shaughnessy: 28-years-old, 21 career starts. Entering sixth season. Caught 14 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns in 2019.
Charles Jones: 23-years-old, zero career starts. Entering second season. Caught one pass for five yards in 2019.
The Jaguars are clearly gearing to lean on Eifert and Oliver at the tight end position in 2020, even if Eifert got an incentive-based deal that is a shorter agreement. Eifert has more experience and a more proven track record than any other tight end on the roster, and while he is no longer the Pro Bowl talent he used to be, he can still be productive as long as he remains healthy.
Oliver may be the most physically talented tight end on the roster, but he will need to prove himself in 2020 after dealing with injuries for all of 2019. He has the size and speed to be a threat up the seam and in the red-zone, but he needs to prove it on Sundays.
O'Shaughnessy was the best tight end in Jacksonville by far in 2019, but a Week 5 ACL injury ended his season and he will now be tasked with bouncing back from the serious injury. Jones was a depth player who only saw meaningful snaps at the end of the season.
Jacksonville has a couple of intriguing options at tight end, but there are question marks with literally every single one. Jacksonville would be wise to add a mid- or late-round tight end with one of their 12 draft picks, specifically one that can serve as an in-line blocker.
Do not expect for the Jaguars to target any more veteran tight ends: they are high on Eifert, who offensive coordinator Jay Gruden coached in Cincinnatti, and want Oliver to take a big step in his sophomore season. Still, there are more questions than answers at the position.
