Jaguars add Tanner Koziol in the fifth round, spotlighting their second rookie tight end

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected tight end Tanner Koziol in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, giving many fans a first real look at a player who now has a clear path into a position group Jacksonville is prioritizing. The pick was framed as part of the Jaguars’ tight end haul, described in coverage as the second of their rookie tight ends from the class.

From a roster-building standpoint, adding a tight end in the middle-to-late rounds is often about creating competition and adding a specific set of roles rather than immediately penciling someone into a full-time starter workload. Tight ends in this range frequently have to prove they can separate in routes, win matchups in tight spaces, and handle the physical demands of run-and-pass protection, all while learning an NFL playbook at speed.

The public details available in the draft write-up focus on introducing Koziol to fans and setting expectations around the kind of developmental opportunity he represents. Without additional, confirmed reporting in the material at hand about his college statistics, measurable traits, or specific traits highlighted by the Jaguars, the most reliable takeaway is the team’s intent: bolster depth and competition at tight end with a rookie who can contribute as his role expands.

What to watch next is not just whether Koziol makes early noise, but how Jacksonville uses him once practices and camp plans translate into on-field reps. For a fifth-round tight end, the clearest indicators usually come from how often he is targeted on intermediate routes, whether he is trusted near the line of scrimmage in run concepts, and how consistently he is deployed in personnel groupings that reflect the coaching staff’s confidence.

For Jaguars fans, the bigger picture is how Koziol fits into the team’s offensive identity as the season approaches. Tight end usage can affect everything from third-down conversions to red-zone efficiency, and a young player who can reliably execute as a blocker and as a receiver can open more play-calling options for the entire offense. Jacksonville will want to see that reliability develop quickly, even if the rookie’s early role is limited by design.

This story should be treated as an initial introduction rather than a finished scouting profile. Further confirmation from official Jaguars materials, league-wide draft recaps, and post-draft reports about Koziol’s background and reported strengths will be necessary to evaluate what the Jaguars truly drafted him for and what kind of timetable is realistic.