The Jacksonville Jaguars paid Brenton Strange recently, but they hadn’t received validation from the rest of the league that he’s a top dog at tight end.
Now with ESPN’s tight end rankings available, his extension makes more sense.
Strange did not crack ESPN’s ranking of the NFL’s top 10 tight ends entering 2026, a list based on voting from league executives, coaches and scouts.
He did, however, appear among the seven additional players who received votes.
For a 25-year-old coming off his first season as a full-time starter, he beat out more established tight ends like Hunter Henry of the New England Patriots, a significant snub.
Strange Is Now Paid to Reach the Top 10
Strange’s new deal includes $25 million guaranteed and carries a $16 million average annual value, according to Reuters. At the time of the agreement, that average ranked fifth among NFL tight ends.
ESPN’s survey placed him outside the top 10 and the honorable-mention group.
Receiving votes still put Strange on the league’s radar, though his contract says Jacksonville expects considerably more than outside recognition.
The bet aligns with his trajectory.
Strange established career highs with 46 receptions, 540 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2025 despite missing five games with a hip injury.
His performance compared favorably with some of the position’s more established names.
Pro Football Focus gave Strange a 77.6 overall grade, seventh among 37 qualified tight ends. His receiving grade ranked ninth, while the 121.8 passer rating Trevor Lawrence produced when targeting him ranked eighth at the position.
Jaguars.com that his 11.7 yards per reception ranked fourth among AFC tight ends and tied for sixth at the position across the NFL. His nine catches of at least 20 yards tied for fifth among AFC tight ends.
Jacksonville also went 11-1 in the games Strange played and 2-3 during his absence. It’s no wonder the front office moved quickly rather than allowing Strange to enter the final year of his rookie contract without a new deal.
Jaguars Built Their Offense With Strange in Mind
The extension became more revealing because of what Jacksonville had already done in the draft.
The Jaguars selected Nate Boerkircher with the No. 56 overall pick and added Tanner Koziol in the fifth round.
It was the first time in franchise history Jacksonville selected two tight ends in the same draft, and the team said the additions were made with more two- and three-tight end formations in mind.
That plan should allow Strange to move around the formation rather than spend every snap attached to the offensive line. The rookies can handle some of the heavier blocking work while Strange attacks linebackers and safeties from different alignments.
Strange still has something to prove. He has never reached 550 receiving yards in a season, has six career touchdown catches and has yet to play a full year as Jacksonville’s unquestioned top tight end.
ESPN’s voting reflects that incomplete résumé. League evaluators see enough to include him in the conversation, though not enough to place him beside the position’s established top tier.
The Jaguars are betting the final step comes soon.
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