The New York Giants drafted something of an enigma in tight end Evan Engram. One thing Giants fans need to know: Engram is a relentless competitor.
The New York Giants continue to entrust the future of the organization to general manager Jerry Reese. For all of the fan outrage and the general sense of impatience, Reese has done enough to justify the faith placed in his ability to build and lead.
The skepticism continued during the 2017 NFL Draft, but Reese may have aced his first-round selection in a rather surprising way.
When it was announced that New York had drafted Evan Engram at No. 23 overall, the general response was a combination of shock and uncertainty. David Njoku was generally ranked highest amongst the available tight ends, and Engram was viewed as a potential Day 2 selection.
According to Paul Schwartz of The New York Post, Engram’s college coach, Hugh Freeze, praised the dynamic tight end’s competitive nature.
"“There’s no question that his competitive spirit is one of the highest I’ve ever coached,’’ Freeze said. “I think it’s almost been a chip on his shoulder all along. Just that he wants to prove that his competitive spirit will be the extra sauce he needs to not only be a skillful guy that he is, but to feel like he can win any one-on-one when given the opportunity.”"
If Engram is going to live up to his potential in the NFL, that fire will need to burn bright on a daily basis.
Engram will join an offense that’s being built around a two-time Super Bowl champion in quarterback Eli Manning. It will feature two All-Pro wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, as well as a promising young slot receiver in Sterling Shepard.
In other words: Engram will join an offense with a number of proven commodities who will trust him to play at a high level from day one.
The question is: will Engram’s work ethic translate from the collegiate level to the NFL?
Engram led Ole Miss in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns during the 2016 season. He stretched the field vertically and competed on a weekly basis, as evidenced by the fact that his eight touchdowns were spread out over eight games.
If Engram is willing to work as hard in the NFL as he did in college, then the Giants should have a high-quality tight end for years to come.
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The future is bright for the New York Giants.