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WILL TANNER KOZIOL BREAKOUT AS A ROOKIE?! · Duval Daily: A Jacksonville Jaguars Podcast

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jacksonville Jaguar's fans, welcome into Duval, daily presented by Genjag.com and fueled by Brass Tax Coffee.
• 0:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right now, we're talking Tanner Koziel, a player who we've talked about a good bit throughout Mini Camp and OTA so far, the Jaguar's Offseason program, a rookie fifth round pick by the Jaguar's 164 overall, tied in that is getting some national attention, ESPN posted an article about
• 0:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: some young players to keep an eye on, breaking out, et cetera, and Tanner Koziel was mentioned just based on his play that we've seen from him not only throughout his collegiate career as they're receiving tight end, but also so far here in Jacksonville and the pads haven't come on yet, training camp isn't here yet.
• 0:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's not hitting, there's not a ton of violence, but you've seen a little bit in every single practice so far.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: from Tanner Koziel as to what made him such a productive, receiving Titan at the collegiate level.
• 0:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we're gonna talk about just like, what he can provide to the Jack Wars because there's not a lot of people are talking about him and their analysis of these practices and stuff, right?
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: But what can he really provide the Jack Wars in 2026 and how can he round out the Jack Wars Titan room?
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're gonna get into that right here, right now.
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really appreciate y'all tuning in.
• 1:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you enjoy the content, please like and subscribe.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can also hit that high button, helps out a ton.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: So Tanner Coziel is like six, seven, two, 50-ish.
• 1:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: A guy that...
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Literally the most productive receiving titan in the country, last couple years.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: He started his career at Ball State, 22, 23, 24 at Ball State.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: His big breakout was in 2024, where he had 123 targets, 94 receptions.
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: 840 yards and 8 touchdowns.
• 1:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then, he transfers to Houston, which if you've been paying attention to James Gladstone in company, you know they love when a player transfers from a lower level of competition to a higher level of competition and continues to play at the same level and
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: The numbers weren't quite as good, but they were still very good for a tight-end, pretty incredible stuff.
• 2:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: 94 targets 74 catches last year at Houston for 727 yards and 6 touchdowns.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: super productive receiving tight end.
• 2:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then again, you've seen in every practice so far, Tanner Coziel making a play as a receiver.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whether it be getting open or more commonly, more frequently, going up and getting a pass down the field.
• 2:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whether that be a pass that's right on a defender's head, snatching it from above the rim, or going up and catching a
• 2:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: ball that's way up in the air and, you know, kind of plucking it like it's nothing looking like a power forward out there and athletic power forward basically has the height to do that at six foot seven.
• 3:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, as a receiver, really good.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: As a blocker,
• 3:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, not the best, which is like if he was a more balanced, tight end with his receiving skill set, he would not have been available in the fifth round at 164, but James last one has talked about a lot.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's players that when they enter the league, they might not be viewed as somebody who, and he's talked about this and all sorts of different cards, but with Tanner Koziel, he's not viewed currently as somebody who's going to be an impact blocker.
• 3:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: That doesn't mean that can't be a trade of his in two or three years.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't.
• 3:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: He could absolutely become a balanced player for the Jaguars.
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think right now you view him as clearly the move, the detached, tight end.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: The tight end who's in the slot, the tight end who's moving around the formation, and really creating mismatches.
• 4:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now,
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're talking about Tenercoziel from like, do you expect him to go out and have like this breakout rookie year?
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: That would be difficult to see because Jaguars have a guy named Britain strain too.
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the Jaguars have talked about now that Nate Borkerture is here.
• 4:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Jaguars first overall pick in this draft in the second round at 56 overall.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: they're going to, they believe, Nate Borkertur's presence is going to allow Britain to strange to move around more and be more of a receiving threat and have to do a little bit less of the dirty work type stuff that is really good at, but they think he's really darn good at being a receiver and he is.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they think Borkertur is going to allow Britain strange to do more of the things that they think Tanner Coziel can do.
• 4:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think
• 4:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would have my expectations just dampered a little bit for Koziel, not because I don't think he can play and be a productive receiving titan, but because they've got clearly two guys that are ahead of him on the devs chart.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You've also got Quentin Morris, so like depending on the situation, you've also got Hunter Long, depending on the situation,
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: if they don't want a big body receiving threat out there in the slot, Tanner Coziel's probably not on the field.
• 5:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they've got a deep group of receivers too.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like, so if we want Tanner Coziel out there because we feel really good about the matchup, we feel really good about him as a receiver.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, who is that taking off the field?
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's probably taking off one of those receivers that you absolutely love.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: So again, I think when he is out there, he will execute as a receiver at a very high level
• 5:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really great hands, great feel for running routes as a big, you know, you're not a six foot seven lumbering tie-dend, he's a smooth player, as a good feel for running routes and certainly at the catch point going up and getting the football catch in the ball through contact.
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: all that stuff.
• 6:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like the last couple years didn't even mention his contested catch rate and 2024 was 65% and 2025 was 74% and that's not on like 10 targets.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had 40 contested catches contested catch opportunities and 2024 at Ball State caught 26 of them.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: At Houston and 2025 27 contested catch opportunities and caught 20 of them.
• 6:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like this guy comes down
• 6:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: with the football in a very big way and again you have seen that already here in Jacksonville.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not to say he can't get the job done, and I think that they will utilize him in certain games and certain matchups I do, but if you're expecting this to be a player who really emerges on the scene as this breakout star super productive as a rookie, I don't necessarily see that path outside of injury ahead of him on the depth chart.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do think he'll be a helpful piece for the Jaguars in 2026.
• 6:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
• 7:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Beyond that, like, what your expectations can be.
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then beyond 2026, again, if you don't expect the Jaguar is to bring back Britain's strange, sure.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I do expect the Jaguar is to bring back Britain's strange.
• 7:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's going into a contract year here in 2026.
• 7:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he'll be back a long term.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the absolutely love what Britain's strange brings.
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think Tanner Koziel, you know,
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: If things don't work out with that contract negotiation, is a little bit of a piece.
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would say that, a little bit of a fallback option.
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: There, as they're receiving tight end.
• 7:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't like to hear that.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't like to say that, because I think the Jaguar should be heavily focused on having Britain strange, Nate Borkutcher and Tanner Coziel in this picture long term together as a group.
• 7:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like that's your core group at tight end in my opinion.
• 8:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: but you never know how things go, right?
• 8:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they don't get a deal done with Britain's strange before the season and Britain's strange starts playing the way we know Britain's strange can play and starts putting up monster numbers, that deal gets more difficult and more difficult to get done.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: we'll see.
• 8:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want to see Britain strange here no question about it, but you have to at least at this time be open to the possibility that that's not going to be the case because again, he is not signed beyond 2026 right now.
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: So
• 8:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really appreciate y'all tuning in.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do think Tanner Coziel good player very good receiving tie-dend prospect has shown his chops already In Jacksonville, and I think he'll continue to do so when given the opportunity I just don't know how many opportunities there's gonna be as a rookie who is at best your third tie-dend right now Again, really appreciate y'all being here if you enjoy the content please like and subscribe y'all have a good one