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Tight end remains a position lacking in legitimate playmaking talent for the New York Giants. The situation would change though, provided the Giants are willing to reunite with a former first-round draft pick who’s become a surprising breakout player on a different team in 2022.
Evan Engram is set to enter free agency for the second offseason in a row, but he’s in a much stronger position this time. The 28-year-old has become a prolific receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, one with the versatility and athleticism to gash defenses in multiple ways.
There isn’t a tight end on the Giants’ roster as dynamic as Engram. It’s something general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll can’t ignore, especially since Engram is projected to be available for terms friendly to the salary cap.
Playmaker Deserves Second Act With Giants
Engram was never as bad as some Giants fans would like to believe, despite issues with drops and injuries. He dropped 23 passes and missed 16 games during five seasons with Big Blue, according to Pro Football Reference.
The player selected 28th overall in 2017 still went to a Pro Bowl and “amassed 262 catches for 2,828 yards and 16 touchdowns,” per Pro Football Network’s James Fragoza, who noted how Engram compiled those numbers “despite mediocre play-calling and less-than-stellar QB play.”
Engram’s production has reached another level while playing for head coach Doug Pederson and the Jags. The roving tight end has set career-best marks with 68 catches for 723 yards.
HIs breakout season has involved Engram setting a franchise record when the Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 36-22 in Week 14, per News4JAX’s Jamal St. Cyr:
This was the first of two 100-yard games for Engram this season. The second came in Week 16 against the New York Jets, when Engram made seven grabs for 113 yards during a 19-3 victory at MetLife Stadium.
Another big day means Engram is keeping pace with two of the league’s most prolific tight ends, per StatMuse:
Being in such select company means Engram ought to have his pick of teams in free agency. Yet, a healthy market won’t necessarily mean Engram is priced out of the Giants’ range.
Not when Fragoza cited Spotrac calculating Engram’s current market value at “2 yrs, $15,102,831.” Fragoza also referenced how “similarly-utilized TEs such as Dawson Knox (four years, $52 million) and Darren Waller (three years, $51 million) agreed to contracts worth $13 million and $17 million, respectively, in AAV.”
Using Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox as an example is significant, since he became a useful weapon on Daboll’s watch when the coach called the offense for the AFC East franchise.
If Daboll sees shades of Knox in Engram, he could justify welcoming the latter back into the fold.
Giants Lack Matchup Problem at TE
As Fragoza put it, Engram “has continued to blur the line between tight end and wide receiver.” The 6’3″, 240-pounder is a matchup problem for defenses thanks to his combination of size and speed.
There’s also his flexibility to align in various spots, either as a traditional in-line tight end, in the slot, split outside or even in the backfield. Pederson and the Jaguars have unlocked Engram’s full potential because of the different ways they’ve gotten him the ball.
This screen against the Jets, highlighted by ESPN analyst Matt Bowen, is a great example:
Engram didn’t work with a coach as creative as Pederson during his time with the Giants, but things are different now. Daboll is one of the more expansive play designers in the league, while offensive coordinator Mike Kafka learned under Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid, just like Pederson.
Kafka and Daboll don’t have a tight end as versatile as Engram to utilize. Rookie Daniel Bellinger is more of a blocker than a receiver, while Nick Vannett and Lawrence Cager are pending free agents.
Drafting Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer would yield a Rob Gronkowski-style complete tight end, but the Giants may be smarter to spend some of their projected $58,069,685 in cap money on a proven pass-catcher.
Engram makes sense, not least because the Jags will struggle to pay up, according to Fragoza: “With back-to-back free agency splurges (ranked top three in spending), Jacksonville is currently projected to be $17 million in the red next season. Even if they free up some space with restructures and cuts, 25-year-old right tackle Jawaan Taylor, WR Marvin Jones Jr., and EDGE Dawuane Smoot are all up for new deals.”
Giving Engram another chance would offset the Giants’ lack of elite wide receivers, without taking too much money away from new deals for quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
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