While the Jacksonville Jaguars got a blank stare when they took tight end Nate Boerkircher in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, the pick was better than it seemed at the moment. Sure, he only caught 20 passes in his lone season at Texas A&M. However, the former Aggie might not have been targeted as much as he should've been.
Either way, the Jags won't truly be able to prove they made the right choice with Boerkircher at No. 56 until he makes an impact in the regular season. Having said that, he's off to a promising start.
Nate Boerkircher makes a positive impression at Jaguars rookie minicamp
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated was in attendance at Jaguars rookie minicamp and stated that Nate Boerkircher made a strong impression, pointing out that he will hold his own at the line of scrimmage. Here's the skinny.
"As for Boerkircher, he certainly looked like a tight end who has enough size to him that he will not struggle on the line of scrimmage," Shipley wrote. "He moved more fluidly than I anticipated in receiving drills, too, showing that he's not one of these tight ends who has gotten too big and gone too far toward the blocking side."
This blend of size and agility will allow Boerkircher to earn a role in the Jacksonville offense. Sure, the Aurora, Nebraska native is No. 2 behind Brenton Strange, but should still get plenty of targets in two-tight-end sets.
One of the biggest reasons the Jags caught plenty of heat for taking Boerkircher way before the consensus board suggested was his dearth of production in college. However, his separation rate showed that he was routinely opened but wasn't targeted. That won't be the case in Jacksonville, where he'll get his number called often.
It's also worth noting that in the aftermath of the draft, several analysts have stated that other teams aside from the Jaguars had set their sights on Boerkircher. If they hadn't picked him at No. 56, he might have been gone late in Round 2 or early in Round 3.
When you add it all up, Jacksonville might've made the right call by getting ahead of the curve. On a related note, Shipley also argues that offensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah looked the part, noting that the former Oregon Duck looks athletic and physically imposing.
The Jaguars have a sleeper in Nate Boerkircher
One paper, the Nate Boerkircher pick doesn't look that great even when you take into account that he's a much better pass-catcher than his stats suggest. And that's because the Jaguars already had the ascending Brenton Strange in the mix. Under Liam Coen, Strange proved to be a viable target but also a blocker that offered an element of feistiness the offense had been missing for years.
However, the former Penn State Nittany Lion is entering a contract year, and even if Jacksonville re-signs him, the tight end room were in need of reinforcements. When Strange went down with a hip injury, the offense suffered a drop-off. If he misses time once again next season, Boerkircher could quickly step in his place.
Furthermore, other tight ends on the Jacksonville depth chart, Hunter Long and Quintin Morris, are scheduled to become free agents in 2027, so it made sense for the team's brass to add reinforcements at the position.
Again, it will be a while before the Jaguars find out whether Nate Boerkircher will be a playmaker. But the early signs were there at rookie minicamp.
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