The 2017 season was nothing short of a disaster for the New York Giants, but one positive thing that came out of it was that tight end Evan Engram had a very impressive rookie year. Quarterback Eli Manning has plenty of weapons to utilize in his offense this season, which is exactly why Engram has a good chance to have a breakout year.
Part of the reason that the Giants struggled so much offensively in 2017 is that they had a lot of injuries. Star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a fractured left ankle in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He ended up undergoing surgery on the injured ankle, ending his season. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall also hurt his left ankle in the game against the Chargers. He had to have season-ending surgery as well.
Beckham and Marshal were both supposed to be major factors in the Giants’ offense in 2017. With them out, Engram and wide receiver Sterling Shepard took on larger roles in the offense. However, Shepard ended up missing five games over the course of the season due to migraine issues. During the games that Shepard was out, Engram was Manning’s go-to guy.
Engram was targeted 115 times last year, which was more than any other Giants receiver or tight end. He had 64 receptions for a total of 722 yards and caught six touchdowns. In addition to leading the Giants in targets and receptions in 2017, Engram also had the most receiving touchdowns on the team.
With Beckham and Shepard healthy again going into this season, opposing defenses are going to have plenty to worry about when they play the Giants. This dynamic offense is also going to feature rookie running back Saquon Barkley, a guy who has the potential to be one of the most electrifying players in the NFL. Because of these other weapons, it will be impossible for defenses to pay as much attention to Engram as they did last year.
At 6 feet 3 inches tall, Engram is a matchup nightmare, especially in the red zone. In addition to being a major red zone target, he is also a legitimate deep-ball threat. According to Pro Football Focus NY Giants, Engram was third among tight ends in deep pass targets during the 2017 season.
#Giants Evan Engram was 3rd among 2017 tight ends in deep pass targets pic.twitter.com/37pXPTMyVj
— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) July 28, 2018
The Giants are going to have to turn things around offensively in order to be a playoff team in 2018. With all the weapons that Manning can utilize this season, Engram has seemingly gone under the radar. That is exactly why he is primed to have a huge year.
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