JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars focused on offense with their first pick in the NFL draft on Friday night, picking Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher with the 56th selection.
After sitting out the first round of the draft for the only time in the franchise’s 32-year history (the Jaguars traded this year’s first rounder to the Browns last year in the Travis Hunter deal), Jacksonville sat tight and let pick No. 56 slowly come to it.
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Boerkircher (6-4, 245 pounds) was a surprising pick at that spot. He had 19 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns in his fifth season, and first with the Aggies. He spent his previous four years with Nebraska.
On the surface, it’s a significant reach for general manager James Gladstone and the Jaguars. PFF called Boerkircher a potential Day 3 sleeper. The NFL prospect breakdown had him a fourth-round prospect. ESPN rated Boerkircher as the 159th overall player and 13th-best tight end. He’s similar to current Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange, and will compete with Quintin Morris and Hunter Long for the No. 2 tight end role.
Gladstone elected not to trade up on Thursday night and resisted moving up again on Friday as prospects who were thought to be favored by the Jaguars came off the board.
Defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (36th to the Texans), safety Treydan Stukes (38th to the Raiders), edge R Mason Thomas (40th to the Chiefs), defensive lineman Christen Miller (42nd to the Saints) and linebackers Jacob Rodriguez (43rd to the Dolphins), Josiah Trotter (46th to the Buccaneers) and CJ Allen (53rd to the Colts) had all been mocked to Jacksonville in various drafts.
The Jaguars’ most pressing needs entering the draft were reinforcements on the defensive line and at edge, a linebacker to replace Devin Lloyd and more help at tight end, running back and in the secondary.
Jacksonville had big free agency losses in Lloyd, running back Travis Etienne, safety Andrew Wingard and cornerback Greg Newsome II.
All-time second-round selections by Jaguars
Year, Selection No., Position, Player, College
2026: 56. Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
2025: None
2024: 48. DL Maason Smith, LSU
2023: 61. TE Brenton Strange, Penn State
2022: None
2021: 33. CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia. 45. OL Walker Little, Stanford
2020: 42. WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado
2019: 35. OL Jawaan Taylor, Florida
2018: 61. WR DJ Chark, LSU
2017: 34. OL Cam Robinson, Alabama
2016: 36. LB Myles Jack, UCLA
2015: 36. RB TJ Yeldon, Alabama
2014: 39. WR Marqise Lee, USC. 61. WR Allen Robinson, Penn State
2013: 33. S Johnathan Cyprien, FIU
2012: 38. LB Andre Branch, Clemson
2011: None
2010: None
2009: 39. OL Eben Britton, Arizona
2008: 52. DE Quentin Groves, Auburn
2007: 48. LB Justin Durant, Hampton
2006: 60. RB Maurice Jones-Drew, UCLA
2005: 52. OL Khalif Barnes, Washington
2004: 39. LB Daryl Smith, Georgia Tech. 55. RB Greg Jones, Florida State
2003: 39. DB Rashean Mathis, Bethune-Cookman
2002: 40. OL Mike Pearson, Florida
2001: 43. OL Maurice Williams, Michigan
2000: 60. C Brad Meester, Northern Iowa
1999: 56. DL Larry Smith, Florida State
1998: 57. DB Cordell Taylor, Hampton
1997: 50. DB Mike Logan, West Virginia
1996: 33. DE Tony Brackens, Texas. 60. C Michael Cheever, Georgia Tech
1995: 40. OL Brian DeMarco, Michigan State. 64. LB Bryan Schwartz, Augustana (South Dakota)