There is no question that the New York Giants have struggled the past few seasons, which has inevitably limited some of their better players. Trading away Odell Beckham Jr. was a fundamental part of their full roster overhaul, and general manager Dave Gettleman is still putting his final touches on the team.
The offensive line is far from cohesive, despite the drafting of fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas, and the defense is still in the works.
However, despite injuries, the Giants feel confident going into 2020 with plenty of talented youth pieces on the team, and some experienced veterans to lead the way. Tight end Evan Engram, who missed eight games in 2019 due to a midfoot sprain, is returning with high expectations.
The New York Giants need the rookie Evan Engram back, minutes the dropped catches:
Over his first three seasons in the NFL, Engram has seen his statistics decrease consecutively. In 2017, he played in 15 games, earning 64 receptions for 722 yards and six touchdowns. Since then, he has steadily lost yardage volume and finished with just 467 yards in 2019.
However, that hasn’t taken away from his talent and what he brings to the Giants’ offense.
Former Giants quarterback, David Carr, who’s currently an NFL.com analyst, was very confident in Engram’s abilities moving forward, ranking him the 10th-best tight end in football.
Engram often flies under the radar because he’s on a struggling Giants team that’s trying to find its offensive identity. But make no mistake: The fourth-year pro is a nightmare matchup in the passing game as a crafty route runner and asset in the run game (much like Ertz). With a full recovery from knee and foot injuries that forced him to miss the second half of last season, Engram is in good position to have a career year as quarterback Daniel Jones continues to develop.
Engram has been rehabbing for months, and he should be a full go for training camp this year. Going into his fourth season, Evan holds the key to unlocking his potential. New offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is fantastic at utilizing tight ends, considering what he managed to do with Jason Witten and even Blake Jarwin last year.
Engram is a nightmare in the passing game and opens up the field considerably for other players like Saquon Barkley. While he’s not the most refined blocker, he can do just enough to get by. It is his release off the line of scrimmage and mismatches with linebackers that make him an elite player when healthy.