As training camp gets closer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the tight end room is starting to take shape, and the roster math points to a fairly clear four-man group.
Brenton Strange is the headliner. Nate Boerkircher, a rookie, is expected to have a sizable role as Jacksonville leans more into multiple tight end looks.
Tanner Koziol, also a draft pick this year, earned his place by standing out during offseason work. That leaves one spot, and the battle appears to be between Quintin Morris and Hunter Long.
The difference between Morris and Long is pretty straightforward. Morris is the more blocking-oriented option, while Long offers more as a pass catcher.
Special teams value matters here, too, and that’s where Morris has the edge. He played nearly 200 more special teams snaps than Long last season, which adds another layer to his case.
There’s also the bigger roster picture. Most teams carry four tight ends, and the Jaguars don’t seem likely to push that number to five.
Doing that would force them to go lighter somewhere else, and it’s not easy to find enough game-day snaps to justify five players at the position. Jacksonville did dress only three tight ends in some games last season, but that doesn’t look like the route the team wants to take after investing more at the position this offseason.
So the prediction here is Strange, Boerkircher, Morris and Koziol. With Koziol on the roster, Long’s pass-catching skill set becomes less necessary, and Morris brings more value as a blocker and on special teams.
In Other News...
Jaguars Rookie Pass Rusher Is Generating Serious Camp Buzz
Zach Durfee arrived in Jacksonville as a seventh-round pick with the kind of profile that can get a rookie noticed quickly in camp, especially on a team that has not been shy about elevating unproven players who flash in practice and the preseason. The Jaguars have found value before by giving those guys real chances, and Durfee has already drawn attention for the athletic tools and pass-rushing ability that made him an intriguing developmental defensive end.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has seen enough to point out that Durfee brings more than just edge speed, and that matters in a defensive end room with established names ahead of him. Even with the depth chart working against him, there is a clear opening for a rookie who can keep stacking strong days in camp and then carry that momentum into preseason reps, where young defenders often make their first real case for playing time. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Turned The Jaguars Core Into A Heated Debate
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Lawrence drew the most attention because Barnwell viewed him as the kind of asset who could command a massive return despite the uneven stretches that have come with years of coaching turnover. The bigger question for Jacksonville is less about whether these names carry real market value and more about what it says when so many of the teams core pieces show up in the same conversation, even if the exercise is only meant as analysis and not a prediction of actual deals. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunter Enters A Franchise Defining Year 2 Spotlight
Travis Hunter is already carrying a familiar kind of weight for a player who has yet to settle into his second NFL season. Jacksonville made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 draft with the expectation that he would change games on both sides of the ball, and the Jaguars have made it clear that plan is still intact. After a season cut short by a knee injury, Hunter has spent the offseason preparing mentally and physically while the franchise keeps him on the path of playing cornerback and receiver.
What makes this year especially interesting is how much more will be asked of him on defense. Hunter is viewed as one of the leagues top 10 players under pressure entering 2026, and that spotlight comes with the usual draft-pick expectations plus the added burden of justifying Jacksonvilles aggressive investment. The Jaguars believe he can handle both roles, but the next step is proving he can turn that promise into consistent impact, especially with his defensive responsibilities expected to grow. [Read more 🡒]