Texas A&M's historic success in the 2026 NFL Draft truly began on Friday night, as third-year head coach Mike Elko saw seven of his 2025 roster stars hear their names called, including the shocking second-round selection of former Nebraska transfer tight end Nate Boerkircher, who is headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars after one season in College Station.
While many in the national media and scouting community saw this as a significant "reach" given the position value and the Jaguars' other needs, but after listening to Jacksonville head coach Liam Cohen and GM James Gladstone, it's clear that landing Boerkircher as early as possible was the central focus heading into Day 2 of the NFL draft.
After transferring from Nebraska, where he was primarily a blocking tight end with little use as a receiver, Boerkircher quickly became one of starting quarterback Marcel Reed's favorite targets in the passing game during the spring practice season, providing more size at 6'4", and was regarded around the program as one of the toughest and most physical players on the roster.
Already an established and willing blocker, which can be seen in all 16 games last season, Mike Elko's ability to identify NFL-level players on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal is now nationally known after Friday's draft performance, and it's obvious Cohen and Gladstone were watching the Aggies and Boerkircher's development throughout the 2025 season.
On Friday night, the Jaguars' press conference included Liam Cohen stating that he "had a dream" about drafting Nate Boerkircher, and "definitely got tougher" after landing the senior tight end.
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen said he literally had a dream that they drafted Texas A&M TE Nate Boerkircher. They selected him in the second round with the 56th overall pick.“We definitely got tougher tonight.” pic.twitter.com/DSOc4HWjtA
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Jaguars HC Liam Cohen 'dreamed' of drafting TE Nate Boerkircher