New York Giants: Evan Engram Projected to Break Out
By Erik Lambert
The New York Giants need their offense to step up in 2018. A transition is underway on defense and things might not go well this year.
Jason Pierre-Paul was traded to Tampa Bay. Janoris Jenkins is entangled in a serious law situation involving manslaughter. Former 1st round pick Eli Apple may not be a lock to make the roster. There are a lot of question marks around that unit in addition to the fact that it will be transitioning to a 3-4 alignment under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher.
This would explain why GM Dave Gettleman invested a large chunk of his resources in overhauling the offense this offseason. Not only is it because he still has Eli Manning at quarterback, but also new head coach Pat Shurmur is an offensive specialist. Names like Saquon Barkley, Will Hernandez, Nate Solder, and Cody Latimer are expected to help get this unit back to prominence.
The return of Odell Beckham Jr. will be a huge boost as well. However, some think the biggest helper to a rebound this season is their somewhat forgotten young tight end.
Evan Engram projected to have a big year for the Giants
Jordan Ranaan of ESPN believes the league might be sleeping a little bit on Evan Engram. He was productive as a rookie, if somewhat inefficient with 115 targets and just 64 catches. Hopes are high he’ll fix this issue with help from Shurmur and the new coaching staff. Projections having him being a potential breakout player this coming season.
"“2018 projections: 69.6 receptions, 758.3 yards, 6.1 touchdownsAssets: The physical skills are there. Engram runs in the 4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash and does it now at upward of 240 pounds. He has the ability to make plays in the air and yards after the catch. He’s an offensive weapon. Engram was fourth in the NFL with 299 yards after the catch as a rookie. He led all rookies with 722 receiving yards, the third-highest total for a first-year tight end over the past 30 years. Only Keith Jackson (1988) and Jeremy Shockey (2002) produced more as rookies from that position. At 23 ahead of his second professional season, Engram’s future is bright.”"
It will be interesting to see what Shurmur does with Engram. He got Kyle Rudolph to the Pro Bowl last year for the Vikings with over 500 yards and eight touchdowns. The matchups he might be able to create with the quicker, faster Engram has to excite him. It will come down to how much he wants to feature the young tight end in the new offense.