JACKSONVILLE – His time is now, and the time appears to be right.
Brenton Strange is preparing for his third NFL season – his first as the Jaguars' main tight end – and he is expected to play a key role in new Head Coach Liam Coen’s offensive scheme.
That's a huge storyline around Strange this offseason, and it's a welcome opportunity.
"I'm definitely ready for it," he said, adding, "I have a lot of confidence in myself and I've always had a lot of confidence in myself. I feel like I'm always one of the best players on the field. I feel like that's the mentality I bring."
Strange, a third-year veteran, joined senior writer John Oehser for this 2025 offseason O-Zone Podcast. He discussed multiple topics, including the tone around the Miller Electric Center in an offseason in which the Jaguars are transitioning to a new head coach and a largely new coaching staff.
"It's a really good feeling," Strange said. "The coaches bring a really good feeling into the building every day and that trickles down to us as players. We see the coaches want to work hard. They have a belief in us and that makes us work harder.
"You have someone there that wants the best out of you. You want to give them your best."
Strange, a second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, is expected to play a key role as the team's No. 1 tight end after the Jaguars released veteran Evan Engram this offseason. Strange started four games as a rookie and 10 in 2024, catching five passes for 35 yards and a touchdown in 2023 and 40 passes for 411 yards and two touchdowns this past season.
"I try to put myself in a position where, 'If the coaches want me to do this, then this is their best way of thinking we can win,''' Strange said. "We had another great tight end in the room, Evan Engram. What he does best is catch the ball and run routes. It was frustrating at times, but you just have to tell yourself, 'It's all part of the process.'
"Everything's a process. Everything that you do, you have to grow through. You have to learn. I looked at it as an opportunity to learn from him, and take pieces of his game and see what I could do to implement it in my game.
"I don't look it as frustrating. I feel like everything I've done in my life has prepared me for this moment right here. I'm excited for it. I'm ready to go. It's a blessing."
Listen to the entire O-Zone Podcast with Strange.
