Out with the old and in with the new. A look at the Jags tight end situation heading into 2019.
On Monday, the Jacksonville Jaguars officially declined the team option on TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
The Jaguars signed Sefarian-Jenkins as a free agent in 2018, but it appears that the team has seen enough from him and are comfortable moving in a different direction in 2019. With the team officially moving on from him, the Jaguars now appear likely to overhaul the tight end position before the 2019 season.
Currently, the only tight end the Jaguars have under contract who has had any significant playing time is Ben Koyack, who is famous in Jacksonville for catching the game-winning touchdown pass in the 2017 playoffs against the Buffalo Bills. Koyack is known as a blocking tight end, and with new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo in town, the team will likely be aggressive in pursuing a receiving tight end threat.
2019 is a great year to be in the tight end market with several big names projected to be available in free agency. Some of the top names include Jared Cook (who we projected to sign with the Jaguars), Tyler Eifert, and Jesse James.
There are also several options available in the draft, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Jaguars draft someone at the TE position as well. One name that is tied to the Jaguars a lot is Noah Fant from the University of Iowa. Fant would be a great target for whoever is under center for the Jaguars in 2019, as he is a large threat at 6-foot-5 and has the speed to stretch the field vertically, too.
Regardless of who the Jaguars target, expect the tight end position to look completely different in 2019.
