Nate Boerkircher, the Texas A&M tight end snagged by the Jaguars at pick 56, wasn’t just *a* draft pick; he kicked off a generational run, with six more tight ends taken in the Top-100 right after him. Now, just one week into the 2026 season, that Boerkircher selection already looks like it’s completely remaking the Jaguars’ offense.
Liam Coen’s system rolled out something totally new against Cleveland, and it was wild. The big hypothesis was that Jacksonville would lean heavy into more 12 and 13 personnel, and holy smokes, did they ever. According to SumerSports, a shocking 60.4% of their Week 1 plays came from multi-TE sets. That’s the second-most in the entire NFL for the week! Think about that: it’s more than double their 24.9% from just last season. Their use of 13 personnel, specifically, rocketed from 2.9% in 2025 all the way up to 17.9% versus the Browns. That’s not a tweak, that’s a total overhaul.
With all those tight ends on the field, it’s no surprise the Jags were under center way more. Last year, they ran 38.3% of their plays from under center. In Week 1? A massive 60.4%, which was the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. Out of those 32 plays under center, 23 were rushing attempts. The run game was a struggle at the end of 2025, so clearly, they’re hoping this multi-TE, under-center approach is the fix. And you know what a strong run game from under center brings? Play action! The Jaguars ran play-action on 48% of their plays in Week 1, more than any other team, and way up from their 25% last year. Yeah, it’s just one game, but this is the blueprint, isn’t it? And Boerkircher is already paying dividends, leading all rookie tight ends in snaps in Week 1.
This isn’t some minor adjustment; a jump from 25.9% to 60.4% in multi-TE sets is an escalation nobody saw coming this quickly. Every team lining up against Jacksonville next has to be watching this tape. What are they going to do to counter this new, tight end-heavy beast? It’s going to be fascinating to see how this offense evolves over the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply