The New York Giants should stop pretending that Evan Engram is a tight end and make him the weapon they need him to be.
At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Engram is a “tweener” — not quite big enough to be a traditional in-line tight end and a little bulky to be a prototype, sinewy wide receiver.
What Engram does have however, is speed (4.48) and uncanny playmaking ability. Since he arrived in 2017, the Giants have not really found a role for Engram, playing him at tight end and then designing cutesy way to get him the football on bubble screens and other nonsense.
My suggestion on how to use him is the same as it was when they drafted him with the 23rd overall pick in 2017: put him in the slot and leave him there.
Engram’s dropsies phase is behind him and he’s poised to become a bona fide NFL weapon that defenses will have very to counter with. Some poor safety of nickel corner is going to have figure out how to either keep up with him with their feet or attempt to out-muscle him. Good luck.
With the Giants hurting for receiving options at the moment, this would be the opportune time to split Engram out and keep him out for good.
“I think he’s got wide receiver traits,” head coach Pat Shurmur said this week. “I think we talked about that yesterday. We actually use him in a detached role, or what would appear to be a wide receiver role. We did it last year, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Good idea. The Giants don’t need tight ends. They need wide receivers. Ones that defenses have to game plan for would be nice too. They have Rhett Ellison, Scott Simonson and rookie C.J. Conrad to handle the TE spot. You don’t need Engram there any longer.
Engram is currently being “managed” for a hamstring issue and has had his share of nagging injuries. But when he’s healthy, use him the way he’s supposed to be used.
When the Giants get whole again, their offense should look like this — Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram at wide receiver and Saquon Barkley in the backfield. That’s a pretty good foursome, no?
