Who Should I Start? John Bates or Nate Boerkircher

Thursday, August 27, 10:27 AM

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Nate Boerkircher has strengthened his redraft outlook by emerging as the clear No. 2 option behind Brenton Strange. The second-round rookie has been listed directly behind Strange on Jacksonville's depth chart throughout the preseason, and the Jaguars gave another indication of how they view him by sitting both tight ends against Carolina last Friday. Boerkircher did play in the preseason opener against New Orleans and went without a target, though his work as a blocker drew positive reviews. His receiving upside has shown up more often in practice. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound rookie caught a red-zone touchdown from Trevor Lawrence during joint work with Carolina, and Jacksonville has discussed using more multiple-tight end packages this season. Boerkircher caught only 38 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns across his college career, but the Jaguars believe those numbers undersold what he can offer as a receiver. Strange remains firmly atop the position and Jacksonville has plenty of other targets, so standard-league value will be difficult to find early. Still, Boerkircher's increasingly secure TE2 role makes him a name to watch in deeper redraft and tight end-premium formats.