1. TE Evan Engram
One of the most significant players the Giants' front office gave up on too soon is tight end Evan Engram, who experienced his fair share of highs and lows in New York. Big Blue drafted Engram at No. 23 in the 2017 NFL Draft. The former first-round pick spent five seasons with the G-Men. While he was considered a solid offensive weapon for the Giants in the beginning, he struggled to stay healthy and was criticized for several dropped passes during his tenure in New York.
Despite having a solid rookie campaign, breaking the most touchdowns in a season by a rookie tight end in Giants history with six, Engram never became the player the team hoped he would become when they drafted him in the first round. Although Engram was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2020 with 63 receptions for 654 yards and a touchdown, he had eleven drops, which led to three turnovers.
The following season, Engram suffered injuries at the start and was utilized more as a blocking TE than a receiver toward the end of the year because of his inconsistent play and how bad the occasional drop passes became with the Giants. In his final two seasons with the G-Men, in 2020 and 2021, he had 10.1% and 8.2% drop rates, so when it came time to extend the tight end, the Giants let him walk in free agency.
Evan Engram experienced his fair share of highs and lows during his time with the @Giants.
— 2nd Wind Podcast (@2ndWindPod) May 24, 2023
But what shocked him the most was how big the spotlight was in New York:
“I never took into consideration just how much bigger the lights are here. There's higher expectations, there's… pic.twitter.com/PFILqQGIga
Engram signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2022, he finished with 73 receptions for 766 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns and was franchise-tagged by the organization following the season. The Jaguars would extend Engram to a three-year, $41.25 million deal, which was a good decision by the team. Playing in a smaller market benefited the veteran as Engram found confidence with the Jaguars.
Last season, Engram had his best season with 114 receptions, the fourth-most in the league, 963 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. He became the eighth tight end in NFL history to record over 100 receptions in a season in the Super Bowl era and was named to his second career Pro Bowl. If the Giants had given Engram more time, the team might not have dealt with the Darren Waller drama this offseason, but you never know what would've happened.