Watch former Texas A&M TE celebrate being selected by Jacksonville

Texas A&M set a program record for the most top-100 selections in the NFL draft, as third-year head coach Mike Elko's preseason premonition has nearly been matched after predicting that the Aggies would see double-digit draft selections, and after seven former stars from the 2025 roster went off the board, the most shocking pick came in the early part of the second round.

Former Nebraska transfer tight end Nate Boerkircher entered College Station as one of the more underrated offseason additions in the country, receiving little interest out of high school, while his role as a blocking tight end with the Cornhuskers likely wouldn't change with the Aggies.

However, during the 2025 spring football season, starting quarterback Marcel Reed developed early chemistry with the Nebraska native, whose fluid route running and soft hands made him a player to watch in the fall, leading to Boerkircher's breakout season, which included one of the more memorable catches in Texas A&M history.

Down 40-34 to Notre Dame on the road with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, Marcel Reed dinked and dunked his way down the field, and after reaching the red zone, Reed found Boerkircher for the game-tying and, eventually, game-winning touchdown. Catching the perfectly thrown pass with his eyes closed, the transfer tight end cemented himself in Aggie lore, which served as the first step in Friday's life-changing moment.

Without a first-round pick, the Jaguars selected Nate Boerkircher with the 56th overall pick, shocking every national analyst, while head coach Liam Cohen and General Manager James Gladstone had their eye on the senior for quite some time.

Widely praised for his toughness and speed, which should be utilized in the seam against small defensive backs, Boerkircher's stats, despite recording a career high 198 yards and three touchdowns last season, will never jump off the page. However, like most underrated draft selections, Boerkircher has a chance to prove that he was worth the high pick as soon as his 2026 rookie season.