Projected Role & Competition
The receiving competition ahead of him is significant. Thomas, Meyers, Washington, and Hunter could all command targets before Strange sees the ball.
Strange sat third in target share before the bye week with Jakobi Meyers still on the Raiders and Washington not receiving much playing time yet:
Receiver | Target Share |
Brian Thomas Jr. | 20.8% |
Travis Hunter | 17.0% |
Brenton Strange | 14.2% |
Parker Washington | 13.1% |
That shifted after the bye with Meyers and Washington passing Strange. Strange sat third in target share after the bye with Hunter on IR and Brian Thomas Jr. missing three games with an injury:
Receiver | Target Share |
Jakobi Meyers | 20.7% |
Parker Washington | 20.5% |
Brenton Strange | 15.6% |
Brian Thomas Jr. | 14.8% |
That could mean he's operating as the No. 4 or No. 5 option in the passing game with the full group at full strength. Strange could pass Hunter if he plays more defense, but Meyers, Washington, and a healthy Thomas likely sit ahead of Strange. Even so, that can still produce usable fantasy numbers in a high-volume offense like Jacksonville, especially with more end zone targets.
Another threat to Strange's 2026 role comes from inside the room. Jacksonville drafted TE Nate Boerkircher in the second round and TE Tanner Koziol in the fifth, though the team signed Strange to a $48 million, three-year extension.
Despite the extension, drafting two more TEs could signal a plan to use more “12” personnel (two TEs). Jacksonville ran such alignments on 18.48% of plays last year, 21st in the league. Coen commented this offseason that he “likes 12,” but also that the team has “damn good wideouts.”
He appears ready to be flexible and use more TEs if that proves more successful. If Boerkircher or Koziol show enough and get on the field, Strange could cede targets.
Paths To Ceiling
Strange could climb to high-TE2 territory if these Jaguars lean into passing volume. He beat Thomas in target share late last season, so the loaded WR corps doesn’t necessarily bury the No. 1 TE.
Of course, Strange will also need to hold off the new competitors at his position. But Jacksonville playing more multiple-TE sets could actually help him on that front. Any formation that runs two or three TEs would likely do so at the expense of extra WRs. And Strange should be considered the team’s top pass-catching TE until/unless one of the new guys proves otherwise.
On the other hand, that crowd could easily leave him in the bottom of TE2 territory … or worse.
Jaguars decision makers showed genuine excitement at drafting Boerkircher in Round 2. If he takes the field at Strange’s expense to any degree as a rookie, the incumbent will obviously face an even tougher path to fantasy relevance.
Worrying about Koziol seems premature, after he arrived as a mere fifth-round pick. But he has generated some early buzz after a high-volume receiving career in college. Koziol looms as another potential thorn.