As the league’s legal tampering period opened last week, New York Giants tight end Evan Engram was one of the more highly coveted free agents heading into the open tight end market.
Engram, of course, ended up signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a one-year deal, $9 million deal.
Engram’s departure puts the tight end in all too familiar territory for Giants first-round draft picks. Engram, like so many of the team’s recent Round 1 draft picks, will depart without getting a lucrative deal from Big Blue.
Evan Engram's departure makes it 11 straight Giants first-round picks who didn't get or play a long-term second contract with the team. ELEVEN! Last one to do so was Kiwanuka (JPP pieced together a few short term deals and Odell was signed then traded). That's a loooong stretch.
— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) March 15, 2022
Though there are a few outliers, as Tom Rock notes, most players never even had the opportunity for a short-term contract after their rookie deal expired. Engram is the latest.
Those 1st round picks:
Aaron Ross
Kenny Phillips
Hakeem Nicks
JPP
Prince Amukamara
David Wilson
Justin Pugh
Odell Beckham Jr.
Ereck Flowers
Eli Apple
Evan Engram— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) March 15, 2022
Aaron Ross, Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Phillips, Jason Pierre-Paul and Prince Amukamara all contributed to least one of the Giants’ recent Super Bowls. But, for the most part, their prime years were short-lived as the team moved on at the right time.
The sole exception is JPP, who is still playing at a high level but never got a lucrative long-term deal from the Giants before being traded.
David Wilson and Ereck Flowers were unlucky picks by the Giants as Wilson’s career ended early due to injury and Flowers was one of the biggest busts in franchise history. However, Flowers did go on to be a formidable option for other teams following his time with Big Blue.
The departures of Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Apple were the most drama-filled on the list. And while Beckham still has some love for Big Blue, Apple can’t decide which one of his former team’s fan bases he hates more.
Of course, the Giants’ next shot at breaking the streak will be Saquon Barkley. After his rookie year it seemed as though he would be a Giant for life, but after the last few years of injury-filled football, Barkley may not be a Giant much longer — many speculate that he might currently be on the trading block.
After that it will be Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence from the 2019 NFL draft class — a class where the Giants already have a failed with one of their first-round picks (Deandre Baker).
Current general manager Joe Schoen obviously hopes to buck this trend.
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