New York Giants: Reviewing Jerry Reese’s 2017 draft picks
By Henry Buggy
#1 – TE Evan Engram (First-Round, Pick No. 23)
Engram has lived up to his first-round selection and is proving himself one of the best receiving options to come out of the 2017 draft class. The Giants rookie tight end has caught 44 passes for 470 yards and has scored five touchdowns this season but struggled against the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving evening.
It’s hard to discredit Engram’s play this season due to three dropped passes on Thursday night. But given New York’s offensive woes, it’s a legitimate question to ask whether a pass-catching tight end was the team’s best first-round option?
It’s no secret Eli Manning loves tight ends, as players like Kevin Boss, Jake Ballard, Jeremy Shockey, and Larry Donnell all had their best season alongside the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Manning gets the most out of the position, and while Engram is clearly a talent, some wonder if he would produce the same numbers with a different quarterback.
The loss of Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall to season-ending injuries has led to more targets for Engram this season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t have a similar impact if Beckham and Marshall had remained healthy.
Engram has proven himself a solid value given his No. 23 selection. But with offensive tackles Ryan Ramczyk and Cam Robinson still on the board, many Giants fans are left wondering what could have been.