A lot of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ success will depend on the additions they made in free agency and the draft. However, it certainly would help if they can find some gems in undrafted free agency as they did with former Jags Allen Hurns and Keelan Cole.
The Jags signed just under 20 undrafted players days after the 2022 NFL Draft concluded, and there were several names who they brought in who have potential. The most notable one was Notre Dame receiver Kevin Austin, who had a draftable grade in the eyes of many experts.
However, he’s not the undrafted addition that Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski is the most excited about. That label goes to tight end Gerrit Prince from the University of Birmingham Alabama.
Here is what Sobleski had to say about putting Prince on his list when looking around the league for one undrafted standout on each team.
Prince led all FBS tight ends last season with an average of 19.5 yards per reception. His 10 touchdowns tied for third among the position group.
At 6’5″ and 240 pounds, Prince isn’t a traditional in-line option. He needs to improve his play strength and possibly add bulk to provide much of anything as blocker. However, he runs a sub-4.7-second 40-yard dash, can threaten the seam and creates after the catch.
Prince is a good choice on Sobleski’s part because Jags coach Doug Pederson loves to utilize the tight end position. Additionally, the team could afford to start developing a player at the tight end position because Evan Engram and Dan Arnold, who are their top-2 tight ends, are only signed through this season.
As mentioned above, Prince’s speed stands out on film, but it isn’t just because he can stretch the field vertically, but also because it helps him after the catch.
Looking at some of these undrafted FAs the #Jaguars signed and UAB TE Gerrit Prince is someone we may have to watch. Reports say the Chiefs and Cards looked at him.
Next Gen clocked him in at 21.77 mph in a game against Jacksonville State. Here is one of his 10 TDs from 2021. pic.twitter.com/q9AWJC1GGB
— Touchdown Jaguars! Podcast (@TDJaguarsPod) May 3, 2022
Prince finished 2021 with 36 catches for 699 yards, so he was an important target for the Blazers. He will have a chance to impress the staff during the offseason workout program and training camp, and if he can display the receiving skills he had at UAB, it could make it hard for Pederson not to want Prince on the final roster.
