JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars will host several competitions during training camp starting in July.

While starting left tackle and strong safety battles will be the high-profile contests of the bunch, the offseason has added fuel to some pretty compelling competitions at the bottom of the roster.

One of the competitors, tight end Braedon Bowman, has found a way to stick out among a group with heavy depth.

An undrafted free agent from South Alabama, Bowman was likely an afterthought for most when he was announced as one of eight post-draft additions in May. However, even with the likes of Marcedes Lewis and Julius Thomas at the forefront of the tight end position, Bowman has been able to make the coaching staff pay attention to his play.

“We’re excited about him, especially as a free agent, I think he was a good find,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “He can run better than a lot of tight ends that you see. I don’t think he had a drop throughout the OTAs and the minicamp, so [I’m] excited about him.”

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The early approval and attention from the staff can only help Bowman's chances of making the roster. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end has shown off his skills and made a few big plays during minicamp.

“I think it’s good for coaches to see [big plays] on film,” Bowman said. “I think it shows I can run routes too.”

The fans noticed Bowman on Day 2 of minicamp. The rookie ran a short route in redzone drills and made a difficult one-handed catch in the endzone with defenders smothering him. The catch made the crowd of Jaguars fans scream with approval.

“It was really cool hearing them yell when you make a big play,” Bowman said.

Being an undrafted player from a small school, Bowman could have been lost in the shuffle. Instead, his boss, head coach Gus Bradley, has looked to find ways to keep him on the roster.

“We like him," Bradley said. "He’s intriguing to us. I think with Bowman, what were still trying to figure out is we don’t have a fullback on our roster, can he be that guy that plays that tight end spot and at times gives us that fullback that we like to incorporate? He’s intriguing that way and I know [special teams coach Mike Mallory] really likes him on some special teams play.”

With competition like Nic Jacobs, who has played the last two seasons on the Jaguars active roster, and two seventh round picks, Neal Sterling and Ben Koyack, the deck is stacked against Bowman. Still, Olson thinks that Bowman can make the roster if he continues to flash.

“He’s just got to keep doing what he’s been doing,” Olson said. “He’s showed up, obviously tested very well. When Dave [Caldwell] signed him, he said ‘This guy has very good numbers in terms of his height, weight, speed.’ Just playing at this level is a big step, but he’s gotten better every day. He produced when he got opportunities.”

With training camp just a few weeks away, there will be plenty more opportunities for Bowman to make his mark.

Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.