The Jaguars announced today that they have concluded the process of signing their picks from the 2026 NFL Draft. They saved the best of their 10-man draft class for last, finishing with second-round Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher.
Boerkircher took a longer road to the NFL, turning down a number of Division II offers to walk on at his home-state dream school. After failing to see the field as a true freshman and only playing in three games in Year 2, Boerkircher finally began to find a role as a redshirt sophomore. By the end of his redshirt senior season in Lincoln, he had started 17 of 39 game appearances but only recorded 19 receptions for 219 yards and one touchdown.
Buried on the Cornhuskers’ depth chart with one remaining year of eligibility, thanks to the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Boerkircher transferred to Texas A&M, teaming up with Theo Melin Öhrström to form an intriguing tight end duo in College Station. While most of the Aggies’ passing attack ran through three main options at receiver in KC Concepcion, Mario Craver, and Ashton Bethel-Roman, Boerkircher and Öhrström supplemented the offense as a pair of athletic targets.
Still, Boerkircher’s receiving totals didn’t blow away. He finished his sixth year of school with 19 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns, but in that short sample, he demonstrated strong hands capable of reeling contested catches with as much consistency as can be determined in a 19-catch sample. With good size and effort, he showed plus abilities as a blocker, as well. He should have an opportunity to compete for the TE2 role in Jacksonville.
After a six-year preamble to the NFL, Boerkircher will be a 25-year-old rookie. He was projected to be a likely fourth-rounder, but coming off the board as TE3, two picks after Eli Stowers, Boerkircher kicked off what would end up being an unprecedented Day 2 run of eight tight ends taken in the second and third rounds.
With all 10 picks signed, here’s a final look at Jacksonville’s rookie draft class:
- Round 2, No. 56: Nate Boerkircher (TE, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 81 (from Lions): Albert Regis (DT, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 88: Emmanuel Pregnon (G, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 100 (from Lions)*: Jalen Huskey (S, Maryland) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 119 (from Panthers): Wesley Williams (EDGE, Duke) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 164: Tanner Koziol (TE, Houston) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 191 (from Chiefs via Patriots): Josh Cameron (WR, Baylor) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 203 (from Eagles via Texans and Eagles): CJ Williams (WR, Stanford) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 233 (from Lions): Zach Durfee (EDGE, Washington) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 240: Parker Hughes (LB, Middle Tennessee State) (signed)