3 Observations on Jaguars' Surprising Selection of Nate Boerkircher

What do we make of the Jacksonville Jaguars' selection of Texas A&M TE Nate Boerkircher?

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) celebrates a first down against the Miami Hurricanes during first quarter of the first round game of the CFP National Playoff at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars made their first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, and it was a rather surprising one.

The Jaguars selected Texas A&M Nate Boerkircher at No. 56, and the reviews are in. So, what do we make of the Jaguars' selection?

This was a shocking pick for one reason

Oct 11, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies tight end Nate Boerkircher (87) runs a route during the second half against the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Simply put, the Jaguars did not reach very much in last year's draft. This time, though, they went with a player who was at No. 166 in the concensus board, giving them -107 spots in value. This is tied with the worst value pick the Jaguars made last year with Jalen McCleod, but that pick was at No. 194 overall. This is at No. 56, and it simply feels like the Jaguars getting too far out over their skis and getting too locked in on their guy.

It has nothing to do with the idea of taking a tight end. We have said the Jaguars should take a tight end in the top-100 for much of the draft process. I did not expect one at No. 56 because it was not a great range for this year's tight end class. And to the Jaguars' credit, there was a mini-tight end run after they took Boerkircher.

But no matter how badly the Jaguars needed a tight end, this was a reach. Nobody connected the Jaguars to Boerkircher this early in the draft, and the Jaguars will need to prove they were right to go on a limb here.

The Jaguars got dealt a bad hand on defensive run

Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It always felt like the Jaguars were set to take a defender at No. 56, but boy did the board fall poorly for them. After the Jaguars got some help on the first day of the draft, they got zero help on Friday. Of the 23 picks in front of the Jaguars, 18 defenders were taken. It felt like the New England Patriots specifically moved up in front of the Jaguars to land Gabe Jacas since the Los Angeles Chargers were not going to douple-dip at edge.

No. 56 was never a great spot to be in for this draft class, and we now see why. The Jaguars had better options in terms of value here at No. 56, but they were also not helped at all by the picks that came off the board before they were on the clock. For all of the luck the Jaguars had on Thursday, it ran out in Round 2.

This Feels Like a Liam Coen Pick

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks during a press conference at the Miller Electric Center, Monday, April 20, 2026 in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Please note that this is not me saying that the Jaguars are not in alignment on this pick, because they are. The Jaguars' entire process is about being on the same page. With that said, it sure feels like this pick is as rooted in Liam Coen and his desire to improve the running game as anything else, considering rhe player they picked.

Boerkircher certainly can help the Jaguars. He is a gifted blocker who can be deployed in a number of ways, and he has more talent as a receiver than the rest of the Jaguars' backup tight ends. But this felt like a move for Coen to fix the Jaguars' running game first and foremost.