The Jaguars didn’t waste any time getting their rookie tight ends involved when training camp opened.
On the first day of practice, Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol both picked up reps with the first-team offense, a sign that Jacksonville wants to see what the young players can handle right away. Head coach Liam Coen said that’s part of the plan, and not just because of what they’ve already shown this offseason.
“It’s also trying to put them in some positions that maybe are a little uncomfortable early on, like putting them in some positions that we got to go see what they can do in terms of that,” Coen said. “And not that we know what Hunter and know what Quinton can do -- I think both those guys had good days as well, Hunter and Q -- we got to see what these guys can do against NFL competition, against a good defensive line, whether it’s with the first group or the second group.”
Boerkircher brings a reputation as a strong blocker from his college days, but the Jaguars believe there’s more to his game than that. They think he can help as a receiver too, and that kind of versatility could matter in an offense that already has Brenton Strange and his own all-around skill set. Put those pieces together, and Jacksonville could have more ways to shape the passing game and expand what Coen can call.
Koziol comes at the position from a different angle. He was more of a pass-catching threat in college, giving the Jaguars another young tight end with a distinct profile.
Even with the team’s offseason investment at tight end, Coen recently pushed back on the idea that Jacksonville is automatically headed for a much heavier diet of big personnel. Still, the Jaguars could lean more on 12 and 13 personnel at times if it helps them attack what defenses are showing.
The key is whether those groupings actually work on a week-to-week basis. Jacksonville has to trust its young tight ends before those looks can become a real weapon.
“It’s something that I know the whole league is going to big personnel and all that,” Coen added. “We’re just kind of experimenting and seeing where can we -- you got two personnels, 11 and 12, right?
Well, you’re always hunting up that third personnel. And so, what is that next personnel going to be that we can use as a change up as something that man, if we’re seeing a defensive structure, whether it’s 13 or whatever it is, can we take advantage of it and use it more within that game plan?
That’s more along the lines of what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
For now, Strange is the clear leader in the room. Boerkircher appears set for a role early, while Koziol’s playing time is less certain. Quintin Morris and Hunter Long could wind up battling for the final roster spot.
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