West Virginia Native TE Brenton Strange Selected by Jaguars in Second Round

Parkersburg, West Virginia native and former Penn State tight end Brenton Strange has been selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. 

“They’re going to be getting a versatile beast in their offense,” Strange told our partner site Nittany Sports Now at the Blue-White Game. “A leader. Just someone who comes in every single day works hard, makes the team better.” 

Strange was Penn State’s No. 1 tight end in 2022 and quickly emerged as one of quarterback Sean Clifford’s most reliable targets. He now joins a Jaguars team coming off one of their best seasons in recent memory, but still in need of more offensive weapons.

PSU → JAX for @BrentonStrange!

The @Jaguars just got a baller 😼#WeAre | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/vLDsRWSj15

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) April 29, 2023

Coming into last season, Penn State’s tight ends room was thought to be an ensemble cast without a leading man. 

Strange, Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren all showed flashes of brilliance before last season, and although Johnson and Warren had their moments in 2022, Strange emerged as the leading man for Penn State. 

Strange finished the year third on Penn State in receiving yards (362), third in catches (32) and first in touchdowns (5). Those stats don’t consider the impact Strange made blocking, either. In Strange’s last game at Penn State, the Rose Bowl against Utah in January, Strange made a critical block that helped create Nick Singleton’s 87-yard touchdown run. Penn State ended up winning the game to finish 11-2. 

NFL draft guru Todd McShay had high praise for Strange last month, tweeting that he was “one of the least talked about and most underrated players in the draft. 

“Combine numbers were pedestrian,” McShay wrote, “but his tape is impressive. Despite a loaded TE class, you’ll hear his name called Night 2 of the NFL Draft.”

At the NFL combine, Strange ran a 4.70 40-yard dash, a 1.57 10-yard splits, a 10-4 inch broad jump, a 36-inch vertical, a 4.46 20-yard shuffle, and 23 reps on the bench press. 

Strange played high school football at Parkersburg High School.

A variation of this story by Joe Smeltzer initially appeared on our partner site Nittany Sports Now.