JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With training Camp right around the corner, it is time to look at the Jaguars roster position by position.
Each day this week, News4JAX looks at each offensive unit on the Jaguars.
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Today, it’s the tight ends.
In 2021 the Jaguars revamped their tight end room bringing in 3 new faces. Along with the rest of the Jaguars offense, the results from the group last season were more down than up. With Doug Pederson now calling the shots on offense those numbers could be way up this season since his offense has been very tight end friendly in the past.
THE OFFENSE | Jaguars breakdown: The quarterbacks
THE OFFENSE | Jaguars breakdown: The running backs
THE OFFENSE | Jaguars breakdown: The receivers
On the roster
Dan Arnold
Stats: 28 Catches, 324 yards.
A midseason trade brought Arnold to Jacksonville and he quickly became one of the top targets on the Jaguars offense. His season was cut short when an MCL strain landed him on injured reserve. Arnold was on his way to having his best season as a pro. He’s a solid option in the passing game with some speed to stretch the field deep. And Arnold is an underrated run blocker.
Evan Engram
Stats: 46 Catches, 408 yards, 3 TDs.
Low risk, high reward. Engram came into the NFL as a first-round pick with expectations he could become a dangerous passing game weapon. That hasn’t exactly materialized. Engram’s most productive NFL season came in his rookie year when he racked up 722 yards and 6 TDs.
For comparison, the Jaguars have had just one tight end with more receiving yardage than that (Kyle Brady had 729 yards and three TDs in 2000). Since then, injuries and drops have plagued Engram. The Jaguars signed Engram to a one-year deal this offseason. The Jaguars wanted to sign Engram to a multiyear contract, but the brevity is Engram betting on himself. If he can put together the kind of season he thinks he can, Engram will be in for a big payday next offseason.
Chris Manhertz
Stats: 6 Catches, 71 yards, TD.
He was the Jaguars big free agent signing at tight end in 2021. The biggest highlight of his first year from the Jaguars came in Week 1 when he caught Trevor Lawrence’s first touchdown pass. Manhertz is one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL.
Luke Farrell
Stats: 7 catches, 56 yards.
In his rookie year, Farrell caught as many or more passes as he did during all but one year of his college career. Farrell is not known for being a prolific pass catcher. As a rookie, he showed he can be a solid run blocker and compete for a spot on special teams.
Grayson Gunter
At 6-5, 247 pounds Gunter has the size to move people. He is an undrafted free agent who played his redshirt senior year at Southern Miss after playing three seasons for Arkansas. Gunter did not catch many passes in his college career but showed he can be a good run blocker.
Gerrit Prince
One of the more memorable plays from rookie minicamp came when Prince pancaked one of the coaches during a drill. Prince, an undrafted player from UAB, had 10 TDs last season for the Blazers. Despite the boom Price laid on a coach, he will look to make his biggest impact as a receiver.
Naz Bohannon
Former college basketball player Bohannon has not played football since high school where he was a highly recruited defensive end/athlete. Bohannon got a tryout at the Jaguars rookie minicamp and the team signed him shortly afterwards.
Outlook
This group has a solid mixture of talent. Arnold gives the Jaguars as reliable do-it-all option. The wild card in this group is Engram. While neither Engram nor Arnold are knock-your-socks-off type players, their combined presence gives the Jaguars a solid pair of options in the passing game.
If Doug Pederson can help Engram reach his potential, he has the tools to be the top tight end in this group. The third tight end spot will have some fierce competition. Manhertz and Farrell will both have to fend off competition from the undrafted rookie group.