Jaguars fans' doom and gloom over Nate Boerkircher pick will soon look foolish

The reaction to the Jacksonville Jaguars' selection of Nate Boerkircher in the second round of the NFL Draft has been... mixed, to put it optimistically. Catastrophic would probably be a better description, in all honesty— while fans are ready to support Nate, they simply feel like it was the wrong move to draft him this high in the order.

Much of that has come from the notion that Boerkircher is a blocking tight end, which caused Jaguars expert Austin Swaim to refer to this pick as a "bomb" by the AFC South franchise. That is a pretty good summation of the reactions around the Jags fanbase right now, with some declaring that this pick puts the jobs of the front office on the line.

There is reason to believe that this pickup for the Jaguars is in fact a pretty good one, however, even if fans can't see it right now. The pick of Boerkircher will soon be seen as a solid one by this franchise.

Nate Boerkircher is going to be great for the Jacksonville Jaguars, even if fans can't see it yet

Let's start off by disabusing fans of the incorrect notion that Boerkircher is a blocking tight end only. While he is proficient in that area, to be sure, he is also a very sure-handed receiver in addition.

Yes, he did not register a huge number of catches for the Aggies this past year, but he was an extremely reliable target who was able to pick up tough yards after the catch with his physicality. He came up clutch time and time again for the Aggies, especially against South Carolina and Notre Dame.

The truth is that Aggie fans know that Boerkircher only scratched the surface of his potential with the Aggies. He didn't register nearly the number of catches that many Aggie fans thought he might coming into the year, but that wasn't due to poor performance— rather, it was due to a renewed focus on the wide receiver position after years of leaning on the tight end.

He can continue to grow into a greater pass-catching role in Jacksonville. This is one that will look better and better as the years go on, even though fans are spiraling right now.

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