John Oehser
JACKSONVILLEHe's tough, versatile and hard-working.
When it comes to Jaguars rookie tight endNate Boerkircher, Christian Ellsworth said the first two attributes matter a lot. But it's the last element Boerkircher's last collegiate position coach emphasized recently.
Football matters to Boerkircher, and it shows.
Boerkircher, who played 2020-2024 collegiately at the University of Nebraska before playing at Texas A&M this past season, was selected by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft No. 56 overall. He participated in the recent 2026 Rookie Minicamp, and is working with the team as the Jaguars continue their '26 offseason program.
"You can tell he's got a calming confidence about him,"Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coensaid, calling Boerkircher, "Extremely locked in."
That trait has defined Boerkircher's career. Ellsworth, now the quarterbacks coach at Kansas State, served as an offensive assistant at Nebraska in 2023 and coached Boerkircher again as tight ends coach at Texas A&M this past season.
Ellsworth called Boerkircher "an awesome, awesome human."
Boerkircher (6-feet-5, 245) is considered a high-end blocker with the versatility to help the Jaguars be effective when they play multiple-tight end packages with physicality a defining trait.
"The No. 1 thing about him is that he's tough and that's why he's such a good blocker," Ellsworth said. "He's willing to strap and fight, no matter the situation, and he's truly just not afraid to stick his face in there and get nasty when you need it."
Boerkircher caught 38 career passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns collegiately, including 19 for 198 yards and three touchdowns in 2025 with Ellsworth saying those numbers reflect Boerkircher's collegiate surroundings more than his ability as a receiver.
Added Ellsworth, "The stats don't really paint the picture of who he is as a pass catcher. He's a contested catch guy. He's going to go make the top plays. He put that on tape for us this year at A&M. You can see flashes of him being a very efficient pass catcher.
