The New York Giants have announced via the team’s official website that they have picked up the fifth-year option on the rookie contracts of both safety Jabrill Peppers, as well as tight end Evan Engram. The exercising of each player’s deal will essentially guarantee that both players will be with the organization through 2021, barring an unforeseen roster move down the road.
The Giants, like many teams, were met with the decision of exercising the fifth-year option on former 1st-Round selections from the 2017 NFL Draft this week, which Engram and Peppers both were. The tight end was picked with the No. 23 selection three years ago, while Peppers heard his name called just two picks later, coming off the board at No. 25 to the Cleveland Browns.
NFL teams are allowed to exercise the fifth-year option on 1st-Round draft choices after they have played a total of three years in the league. Per NFL rules, picking up the 5th-year option of a player that was selected in the 1st-Round, but outside of the top-10 in the draft, will in return pay them the average salary of the third through 25th highest salaried players at their positions.
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Engram’s Talent Simply Too Good to Give Up On
Engram has battled injuries throughout his Giants career. However, the 25-year-old pass-catcher has proven to be one of the more talented players at his position when healthy. The former Ole Miss star has appeared in 34 games over the past three seasons, hauling in 153 receptions for 1,766 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Engram only appeared in eight games this past season with New York before landing on injured reserve with a foot injury. Yet, he gave us a glimpse of the type of playmaker he can be early on in the year when he recorded 113+ receiving yards and a touchdown in two of his first three games.
While it was reported earlier in the offseason that Engram would be confined to a walking boot up until training camp, the latest activity on Engram’s Instagram says otherwise. By all accounts, the tight end appears to be ahead of schedule. Engram posted a roughly 10-second clip in an Instagram story on Wednesday, in which he can be seen boot-less and running on a treadmill.
Giants Hit a Home Run Landing Peppers
Peppers, the former Cleveland Browns’ 1st-Round pick, made his way to New York a season ago as part of the now-infamous Odell Beckham Jr. trade.
The former Michigan star quickly asserted himself as one of the top talents on New York’s roster and a leader in the secondary.
Peppers started each of the first 11 games for the Giants in 2019, accumulating 71 tackles and one interception, before he suffered a fractured transverse which would ultimately land him on season-ending IR.
Peppers is now expected to be one-half of an impressive safety duo in New York, joining the likes of 2020 2nd-Round Draft pick Xavier McKinney.
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Giants Make Final Call on Evan Engram & Jabrill Peppers’ 5th-Year Options