After signing veteran Kyle Rudolph this offseason, the NY Giants’ roster got much stronger at tight end, but will Evan Engram take a needed step forward in 2021?
The NY Giants appear to be fully stocked at tight end right now.
The Giants haven’t had a truly steady option at this position in a long time. There is a great lineage of Giants’ tight ends such as Mark Bavaro, Howard Cross, Jeremy Shockey, Kevin Boss, and Jake Ballard.
Can Evan Engram and/or Kyle Rudolph add their name to this list? We’ll find out soon enough.
The tight ends did not do nearly enough in Jason Garrett’s offense in 2020. The unit struggled with blocking, catching, getting open, and being consistent options downfield. The tight end unit is important to any NFL offense. Having a dynamic and flexible tight ends group that can do a variety of things in both the run and pass game is a huge boon for any football team.
Here is a look at the where the NY Giants’ roster stands at tight end in 2021.
Tight End #1: Evan Engram
Engram has had a turbulent four-year stretch in New York. He shined as a rookie but hasn’t put together a truly ‘complete’ season since.
Engram has failed to get 700+ yards or 6 touchdowns going back to 2017. In fact, Engram has only had seven touchdowns the past three years since his impressive six TDs as a rookie.
Engram has struggled with concentration and focus issues, mainly holding onto the ball and catching passes in contested situations. Engram had too many drops last year, including unofficially six targets that led right to interceptions.
Add on a botched fumble and a dropped potentially game-ending catch vs the Eagles, Engram had a lot of painful moments he’d like to forget about from 2020. It’s time Engram rounds out his game and turns in a successful season.
Engram had his fifth-year option picked up last Spring. He didn’t give New York many reasons to re-sign him for the future and beyond. Evan Engram has added competition this year with Rudolph, it’s now or never for the Ole Miss product.