Getty Tight end Evan Engram #88 of the New York Giants
If you’re a New York Giants fan, chances are you don’t need to be reminded of Evan Engram’s elite talents. In fact, mentioning so might bring on more disdain than joy, as that talent has all too often been roaming the sidelines in a tracksuit rather than beating linebackers and safeties down the seam.
Unfortunately, those injuries can at times mask just how good the Giants truly have it at tight end. ESPN’s ongoing rankings of each position in the NFL are here to shed some light on that matter, highlight the former 1st-rounder’s placement within the upper-echelon of tight ends in football.
NFL Coach on Engram: ‘He’s Top-3’
As you could likely expect, Chiefs star Travis Kelce and 49ers standout George Kittle battled it out for the honor of NFL’s best tight end, per ESPN, with the latter slightly edging out the former.
From there, it was a closely-bunched contest closing out the top-10, with Engram checking in as the seventh-best player at his position. However, some NFL personnel place the Giants playmaker in much higher regard.
“Routes, breaks … he’s top three,” a veteran assistant coach said of the soon-to-be four-year pro. “But he’s not really a tight end,” pointing towards Engram’s receiver-like frame and skillset.
A sentiment further touched on by one NFL coordinator, who finds those traits as a positive. “He’s a true receiver. Polished releases, whole route tree, run after catch. He just plays in a bad offense.” The coordinator added that “those who haven’t watched that dude need to.”
No one has ever doubted Engram’s abilities, it’s rather his availability that comes into question. The tight end flexed his playmaking skills early in 2019, recording 113+ receiving yards and a touchdown in two of his first three games. With that said, he appeared in just eight games last season before being placed on injured reserve, marking the third time in three seasons that he’s failed to play a full slate of 16-games.
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Is Engram NY’s Biggest X-Factor?
Giants.com’s John Schmeelk certainly believes so. The tight end is entering what is essentially a make-or-break year with the Giants in 2020. However, Schmeelk believes “the team’s biggest mismatch” is ready to step up to the plate, operating within a new offense that is highly suited for his skillset.
I am going to go with the player that I think may be the offense’s biggest X-factor: Evan Engram. Will he play in enough games to compile the necessary stats to be the Offensive MVP? Probably not, but that doesn’t make him any less important to the unit.
Engram is the team’s biggest mismatch amongst their tight ends and wide receivers. At his speed, linebackers have no hope of staying with him in coverage, and even safeties could have issues battling his size down the field on contested catches.
Every Giants fan has seen how Jason Garrett’s offense in Dallas featured Jason Witten for more than a decade. Engram could be a similar weapon and go-to player in the red zone with even more big-play ability. He has special skills. If he can ever play 16 games, he could turn the Giants’ offense into one of the league’s top units.