Despite widespread criticism of a second-round "reach," behind-the-scenes footage reveals a unified front in Jacksonville’s draft room for the tight end touted to revolutionize their offensive scheme.
Everybody was shocked when Nate Boerkircher was drafted in the second round.
Boerkircher was projected to hear his name called much later than pick 56, when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected the tight end from Texas A&M. PFF had called him a "late-round sleeper" in its 2026 NFL Draft Guide.
Immediately, the criticisms came pouring in. The Jaguars didn't have a first-round pick in 2026 after sending it to the Cleveland Browns in last year's trade up to draft Travis Hunter. Analysts wondered why the Jaguars would use their first 2026 draft on such a "reach?"
Recently released footage of the team's draft room right before the pick shows exactly why the Jaguars drafted Boerkircher.
Everyone In Agreement
The decision to take Boerkircher wasn't made by one person. It wasn't a case of one specific coach pushing a player until everyone else begrudgingly agreed. It wasn't a case of a general manager making the call on his own, overriding his coaches desire for a different player. Everyone in the Jaguars' room was in agreement on Boerkircher.
When the Jags were on the clock, GM James Gladstone starts off by saying the team should take Boerkircher.
"Go with the guy I love, Big Nate," Gladstone said. "Shock the world, baby. Come on, now. Hottest player remaining is A&M 87."
Head coach Liam Coen agreed, saying he also preferred Boerkircher. Offensive coordinator Grant Udinski chimed in with his support of the pick, saying, "He's changing the offense."
"I did have a dream about him," Coen continued. "So it's like, we're not gonna go wrong."
It's obvious that Boerkircher was simply the highest-rated player left on Jacksonville's draft board. Boerkircher was their guy and they made sure they got him.
Gladstone's "shock the world" remark showed that he didn't care one bit how any other team may have rated Boerkircher. Everyone else in that room agreed that outside opinions or criticisms didn't matter. The Jaguars wanted Boerkircher and they were thrilled to get him.
Boerkircher Has Looked Good
It's only June, but Boerkircher has looked good in Jacksonville's practices so far. It seemed like the national analysts almost immediately began to change their tune once they got a peek at Boerkircher on the field. Field Yates of ESPN included Boerkircher on his list of day two picks who will have an "instant impact."
The Jaguars' organization is excited about Boerkircher and what he can do for the offense. While he wasn't featured very much in A&M's offense, he always seemed open when running his routes. His lack of usage in college was more of a result of play-calling than a knock on Boerkircher's talent.
With the team and the rest of the NFL starting to use more tight-end-heavy sets, it has become a necessity to have more than one good TE. The Jaguars believe Boerkircher's addition will help open up the offense and give Trevor Lawrence another weapon.
Final Thoughts
Kudos to the Jaguars for sticking to their guns. If Boerkircher was the top guy left on their board, they made the right decision to draft him. Otherwise, what's the point in making a draft board?
Remember when Detroit Lions' GM Brad Holmes was heavily criticized for drafting running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round in 2023? I'd say that worked out pretty well.
In the end, if Boerkircher plays well, nobody will think he was a bad pick. The Jaguars believed he was the best player available when they were on the clock.
What anyone outside the organization believed didn't matter one bit.
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