The Jacksonville Jaguars added two tight ends in the 2026 NFL Draft, adding to a deep, explosive offensive attack. How will the two contribute this upcoming season behind starting TE Brenton Strange.
The Jacksonville Jaguars made one of the more shocking picks in this past year's draft, selecting Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher with their opening pick of the second round.
It was one of the more scrutinized picks of the opening round, as Boerkircher was projected to go much later and didn't fit an immediate need for Jacksonville's roster.
However, the front office and coaching staff were very high on Boerkircher, with head coach Liam Coen saying he even had a dream about picking the former Aggie before the draft.
Jacksonville made Coen's dream a reality before adding another rookie tight end, Tanner Koziol, in the fifth round.
On Monday, General Manager James Gladstone talked about what the rookie TE duo has brought to the room as a whole.
"You can feel that TE room, especially between him [Boerkircher] and Tanner, really bring some youthful energy and I think that that's a good thing," Gladstone said.
While both rookies do not project as starters right away, the depth behind starting TE Brenton Strange has seriously improved.
Boerkircher did not post the most eye-popping production in college, catching just 38 passes in five college seasons. But he does possess the physical traits and upside to be an impact blocker and red-zone threat at the next level.
Following the pick, Gladstone said the team's decision makers had an "internal sentiment" that a run of tight ends would come in the late-second to early-third range and wanted to make sure they got their guy.
"He was the one we were hunting up and we weren't going to allow that [run] to ever be something that we risk," Gladstone said.
Koziol, on the other hand, was a high-level producer in college at Houston.
Last season, Koziol led all FBS tight ends with 74 receptions, adding 727 yards and six touchdowns en route to First-team All-Big 12 honors.
In mid-October, Koziol embarked on a three-game scoring streak, including a 7-catch, 100-yard showing against then-ranked No. 24 Arizona State.
Koziol was a one-man army in the receiving game, as the next-closest receiver notched just two catches for 27 yards.
He was an integral part of helping the Cougars to a ranked victory and continued to show up in the biggest games.
In Houston's season-finale 38-35 bowl game victory over LSU, Koziol once again found the endzone, adding nine catches and 76 yards in the Cougars' first bowl victory in three seasons.
His lone score came just before halftime, as the 6-foot-6, 247-pound tight end used his large frame and soft hands to rise up and catch a high-balled pass from QB Conner Weigman, giving the Cougars a 21-14 advantage.
With Boerkircher's high upside and Koziol's proven production, the Jaguars continue to add firepower to the offense.
