When it comes to production at tight end in the NFL, a player is only as productive as the chances they are afforded. There are loads of talented, explosive players at the tight end position these days but only a few will stand out.
It all comes down to opportunity. That means targets in the passing game. A tight end can’t produce unless the ball is thrown his way. In 2019, Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz led all NFL tight ends with 9.0 targets per game followed by Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Evan Engram of the New York Giants, who both averaged 8.5 targets per.
Those opportunities and the production off of those opportunities recently led Ian Hartitz of Pro Football Focus to proclaim that Engram is one of the top five tight ends in football.
Evan Engram was dominating target share to start the 2019 season and is one of the league’s most-talented TEs. And yet, he’s been the subject of trade rumors and just hasn’t been able to consistently stay healthy. Overall, Engram has played in 15, 11 and 8 games since entering the league, suffering two concussions, a bruised rib, multiple sprained knees, two hamstring injuries and an IR-worthy foot injury along the way. There aren’t five better players at the position when he’s right.
The ceiling *if* he stays healthy is huge; only Kelce (77), Kittle (65), Gronkowski (65), Ertz (64) and Waller (61) have averaged more receiving yards per game than Engram (52) among all TEs since 2017. His average of 7.7 targets per game with Daniel Jones under center in 2019 was just below Golden Tate (8.4) and Sterling Shepard (8.3). Note that backup TE Kaden Smith assumed a similarly productive role when Engram missed time last season.
The main difference between Engram and Ertz, Kelce and the others is that he only played in eight games in 2019, catching just 44 passes for 467 yards. Injuries once again derailed Engram’s plan to have a breakout season. The Giants still believe he can become elite and that shows in the limited statistics he’s been able to post up the past two seasons.
Engram averages a respectable 10.61 yards per reception but the Giants are hoping he can expand on that this season. They would like to see him get into the 13-yard range, where league-leader Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens was last year and also increase his catch-ratio, which was just 64.75% in 2019. That would require Engram to improve his ability to catch the football when it is thrown in his direction. 35% of the passes his way were incomplete last season.
Staying healthy will assist Engram in becoming more consistent as well as more productive. There is no reason why under new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett that Engram cannot be used as a more vertical passing option like the Raiders’ Darren Waller or George Kittle of the 49ers. But he’s gotta stay on the field. The Giants added several big-bodied tight ends this offseason which could mean Engram will split out more rather than line up as an in-line tight end.
This coming season will be Engram’s fourth and it will be a crucial one in his career. The Giants have him under contract through 2021 after exercising his fifth-year option this spring, but for him to continue his career in blue, Engram will have to take the next step in 2020.
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