4 Thoughts on the Jaguars' TE Depth Chart Following Tyler Eifert's Projected Departure

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of work to do at the tight end position ... a lot. 

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier this week that the Jaguars are expected to decline the 2021 team option on veteran tight end Tyler Eifert. This was an expected move, but it went to show just how limited the Jaguars currently are at the position behind Eifert. 

So, what is the current state of the Jaguars' tight end group before free agency and the draft? We offer a few thoughts here in light of the projection of Eifert's offseason departure. 

The need for a veteran addition at tight end is colossal

The Jaguars were prime candidates to sign a veteran free agent at tight end even before the reports of the expectation to decline Eifert's team option. No. 2 tight end James O'Shaughnessy was already set to be a free agent in March and the depth behind him and Eifert is pretty frightening in terms of productivity. 

With Eifert and O'Shaughnessy not expected to be on the roster, the Jaguars' current tight end room features Josh Oliver, Eric Saubert, Ben Ellefson, and Tyler Davis. The four have combined for 14 career receptions, with 10 of those coming from Saubert. Oliver has played in just four games in the last two seasons and Davis, a sixth-round selection last April, was Pro Football Focus's lowest-graded rookie tight end last year. Ellefson, an undrafted rookie last year, was PFF's third-lowest graded rookie tight end. 

Simply put, the Jaguars don't have a starting-caliber tight end currently set to be on the roster in Week 1 next year. This could obviously change if they look to draft a tight end early on, but tight end hasn't exactly been a position where rookies thrive: the last tight end to eclipse 600 yards as a rookie was Evan Engram in 2017, and it took him 108 targets to do so. 

The Jaguars are positioned to add a veteran tight end this offseason almost by necessity at this point. Going into 2021 with the current group plus another rookie would be the opposite of setting the No. 1 pick up for success. Look for them to likely be connected to names like Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Gerald Everett. 

Josh Oliver will likely be given one last chance with the new regime

The Jaguars will likely make multiple additions at tight end this offseason, but that doesn't eliminate Josh Oliver from making one last run at carving out a place in Jacksonville's offense. I know we have said that before, but this is a new regime that has never seen him even practice. He has more natural talent than any of the other current internal options, too. 

In a way, Oliver's struggles to stay healthy since the Jaguars selected him with the No. 69 overall pick in 2019 is a better outcome than Oliver staying healthy but playing poorly. As of now, we have no real idea what Oliver the NFL tight end looks like -- he has yet to show that he can't play, so there can be some limited optimism about him moving forward if he can remain healthy. 

Oliver has played in just four of a possible 32 games since being drafted. He missed 12 games as a rookie due to hamstring and back injuries, then a broken bone in his foot last year ended his season during the early weeks of training camp. He hasn't made any impact since being drafted, but he should be given a chance in August to stick. He has a higher upside than Davis, who has played and struggled in the NFL. 

This isn't to say the Jaguars should bank on Oliver heading into the 2021 season; instead, it is an argument to not cast him aside and project him off the roster quite just yet. 

Eifert's departure shouldn't impact the prospect of drafting a tight end early 

While the Jaguars should be considered among the leading candidates to make an investment in a veteran tight end this offseason, Eifert's projected departure doesn't mean the Jaguars should only stick to adding a veteran tight end. 

Oliver has a high ceiling, but the Jaguars can't trust his health. Anything they get from him is a bonus, even if they should give him a chance to at least earn a backup role. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear that either Davis or Ellefson are quality long-term options, perhaps not even as depth. In the event the Jaguars do sign one of the top tight ends on the market, they still need to add a young option at the position to improve the current depth and the long-term health of the position. 

It is unlikely the Jaguars consider a tight end at pick No. 25. Florida's Kyle Pitts, who will likely be seen as a wide receiver by many teams, is a longshot to fall out of the top-20. He may drop a bit for being a tweener, but he is a rare pass-catching talent who teams will ultimately value. 

The Jaguars could realistically add a veteran tight end and then draft a rookie at No. 33, No. 45, or No. 65, though. Players who make sense in that range are Miami's Brevin Jordan, Penn State's Pat Freiermuth, Boston College's Hunter Long. Georgia's Tre' McKitty makes sense following those picks as well. 

Eifert is the latest in a long line of cheap alternatives at tight end who flamed out in Jacksonville -- it is time for the approach to change 

We have written about the errors of investing big in tight ends in the past, but maybe it is time for the Jaguars to reverse course and finally start caring about the position. Their past strategies have failed in spectacular fashion, with Eifert as just the latest example.

They have only drafted two tight ends in the first three rounds in the entire history of the franchise, so it isn't like it is a recent trend for the Jaguars to not make the position a priority in April. What is a recent trend however is the Jaguars' attempting to find cheap band-aid solutions at the position. 

Just look at the last few offseasons: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Niles Paul, Geoff Swaim, and Eifert. All were signed as low-tier options to cheap contracts but were asked to become starters or impact players in the offense right away. Predictably, none worked out in Jacksonville. 

Asking players who should be backups to function as starters will have to happen at some points, but it was the Jaguars' entire strategy at the tight end position in recent years. The Jaguars need to flip the script on that approach and aim for a high-ceiling talent who actually has a chance to turn into that impact player, even if it means spending a bit uncomfortably.