JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are about to let the draft process speak for itself, and the last few names are trickling in for their offseason list.
Since the Jaguars do not host players on top-30 visits and they do not send their brass to pro days, it is difficult to find prospects the Jaguars have pre-draft connections to. We are a far cry from Tyler Lacy getting a top-30 visit.
With that being the case, any instance of the Jaguars making contact with a prospect ahead of the draft seems notable. And in this case, the prospect is a fascinating one.
North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly told NFL Draft On SI's Justin Melo that he had a recent virtual meeting with the Jaguars, making him the latest on a growing list ahead of the draft.
So, who is Joly and how would he potentially fit the Jaguars? We break it all down below.
Simply put, Joly would be a fascinating fit with the Jaguars. When the Jaguars' front office released Evan Engram last year and then added Hunter Long, Johnny Mundt, and Quintin Morris to the tight end room, they made it seem like they were no longer targeting tight ends who could be considered move tight ends or big slot receivers.
With that said, the Jaguars have had several pre-draft connections with several tight ends this draft process that could earn that label. Joly is included in that, as well as Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers from the combine. There is something to be said for looking for versatility in the room, and Joly is certainly a different kind of tight end than Morris, Long, and Brenton Strange.
We have said more than a few times the Jaguars need to get more dynamic at tight end, even with Morris showing positive flashes. Joly would be a mismatch nightmare due to his movement ability and ball skills, and his pass-catching ability could be a terror out of 12 and 13 personnel sets. The Jaguars have Strange as their pointman at tight end, but this is a spot where it looks clear they will add to.
James Gladstone has been bold in terms of upgrading the roster since he first became general manager. Adding a tight end like Joly to the depth chart would show Gladstone is once again willing to be bold to take the Jaguars forward, as well as show flexibility compared to how they built the tight end room last season.
Joly, a high school receiver, led UConn in receiverwith 578 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. He transferred to NC State the next season, and last year he was first-team All-ACC as he led NC State with 489 receivering yards and seven touchdown catches. If the Jaguars are looking for a pass-first tight end to change the make-up of the room, there aren't many better options.
Joly would make sense with one of the Jaguars' three third-round picks, starting with No. 81. This, of course, is most likely just a case of Jaguars doing pre-draft homework. But in a week we will see once for all.