With the No. 164 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Tanner Koziol, tight end, Houston.<\/p>\n
The Jags are continuing to bolster their tight end room after Sean McVay used 3-TE sets to great success in 2025. Koziol now joins a group that includes Brenton Strange, Quintin Morris, and fellow rookie Nate Boerkircher<\/a>.<\/p>\n General manager James Gladstone said of the controversial<\/a> Boerkircher selection, \u201cThat was rooted in our own internal sentiment and understanding that the trend in the NFL was that heavier tight end sets was going to be something that got prioritized, and we felt certainly a heavier tight end run throughout the course of the back end of the second into the third, and typically that\u2019s a window where the wide receiver run is really occurring. I think that certainly showed itself. But he was the one we were hunting up, and we weren\u2019t going to allow that to ever be something that we risked.\u201d<\/p>\n Boerkircker projects as an in-line \u201cY\u201d tight end with some upside as a pass-catcher. Meanwhile, Koziol is more of a pseudo receiver who will be weaponized out of the slot and in the red zone. The Boerkircker was an objective reach, but this is a nice mix of talent\/body types at a position of need.<\/p>\n Receiving & Rushing Table Receiving Rushing Scrimmage Season Team Conf Class Pos G Rec Yds Y\/R TD Y\/G Att Yds Y\/A TD Y\/G Plays Yds Avg TD Awards 2022<\/a> Ball State<\/a> MAC<\/a> FR TE 12 35 373 10.7 7 31.1 0 0 0 0.0 35 373 10.7 7 2023<\/a> Ball State<\/a> MAC<\/a> SO TE 12 34 295 8.7 3 24.6 0 0 0 0.0 34 295 8.7 3 2024<\/a> Ball State<\/a> MAC<\/a> JR TE 12 94 839 8.9 8 69.9 1 6 6.0 0 0.5 95 845 8.9 8 2025<\/a>* Houston<\/a> Big 12<\/a> SR TE 13 74 727 9.8 6 55.9 0 0 0 0.0 74 727 9.8 6 Career 49 237 2234 9.4 24 45.6 1 6 6.0 0 0.1 238 2240 9.4 24 Ball State (3 Yrs) 36 163 1507 9.2 18 41.9 1 6 6.0 0 0.2 164 1513 9.2 18 Houston (1 Yr) 13 74 727 9.8 6 55.9 0 0 0 0.0 74 727 9.8 6 <\/p>\n From Lance Zierlein of NFL.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n Long, angular pass-catching tight end with impressive production throughout his career. Koziol \u2019s monotonous route-running and average play speed lead to an excessive number of contested catches, but his soft hands and overall ball skills help to bring them in at an impressive rate. He appears to lack the technique and toughness necessary to become a functional run blocker against pro competition. Koziol has a chance to become a TE3, but he needs to fine-tune his route-running and play with better short-area quickness to stick around as a catch-only option.<\/p>\n From Dane Brugler of The Athletic<\/a>:<\/p>\n Koziol will be ranked higher by teams who put a premium on ball skills or are looking for a \u201cbig slot\u201d weapon. He\u2019ll be lower for teams looking for more of a true Y or well-rounded tight end.<\/p>\n