The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows when they drafted Nate Boerkircher at No. 56 because they seemingly reached for a player with minimal production at the collegiate level. But regardless of the scrutiny, they expect him to be a part of the offense despite the fact that Brenton Strange remains firmly entrenched as TE1.
The Jags' decision to draft Boekircher paid off early on, as he was a standout early at Organized Team Activities. However, they held him out in mandatory camp and the second portion of OTAs as a precautionary measure.
Despite his abscence, Boerkircher is still getting rave reviews ahead of training camp.
Nate Boerkircher was dubbed a Jaguars offseason winner
Marques Odgen said on the Jaguars Squad Show that Nate Boerkircher is one of his biggest offseason winners, noting that he reminds him of former Jaguars tight end Kyle Brady (but faster).
"I really love what I'm hearing," Odgen said when discussing his biggest offseason winners (15:59 mark). "I hear he's got great attitudes, he works hard, he's what the Jaguars truly need. T Wigg, I love how you said, last year the Jaguars brought in some linemen to bring in that heavier type of set. They don't need to do that now with Boerkircher. They have a really strong, stout tight end. He kind of reminds me of one of my old teammates, Kyle Brady, but he seems a little bit more, he's a little bit faster, athletic than Kyle."
Odgen continued, "But that size and that build remind me a ton of Kyle. Kyle's a Penn State guy, he was mean, he was aggressive, he could block, and that's exactly what the Jaguars, they need that attitude. If you're going to go and get Rodriguez, you're gonna run the football more, you need attitude at all positions - lineman, tight end, receivers, and I think they really can see that with fork at yourself."
"I like that move, I expect a lot out of him this year, right away, after he's been on the big real offensive winners."
For context, Brady was a first-round pick by the New York Jets in 1995. He joined the Jags in 1999 and went on to play eight seasons for them, appearing in 120 games with 110 starts, with 241 yards and 13 touchdowns. The former Penn State Nittany Lion also held several team records until Evan Engram broke them in 2022.
It's too early to tell if Boerkircher will have a career as long as Brady's, but Jacksonville most definitely expects big things from him as a rookie.
Nate Boerkircher gives the Jaguars a versatile offensive piece
One of the biggest reasons the Jaguars went against the grain and drafted Nate Boerkircher in Round 2 was that they didn't want to risk losing him to teams that were reportedly targeting him in the third round. Moreover, the Aurora, Colorado native is a much better pass-catcher than he's been given credit for.
Although Boerkircher only hauled in 19 receptions for 194 yards with three touchdowns at Texas A&M, he posted a separation rate of 86.4 percent, showing that he wasn't targeted often despite the fact that he was routinely opened.
In Jacksonville, Boerkircher will see a lot of action in two and three tight ends sets. His presence will create mismatches, as it will allow Brenton Strange to either block or give Trevor Lawrence another target in the passing game.
It's never good to see players miss time. However, the Jaguars aren't seemingly concerned about Nate Boerkircher missing time at OTAs and are confident he can make an instant impact.
