by Spiro Kasabian @nyspawtsguy_spi
Evan Engram is an enigma. The third-year Tight End out of Ole Miss has had an up and down start to his NFL career. The New York Giants are counting on the former first-round selection to pick up a lot of the slack for the offense after the trade of Odell Beckham Jr..
However, Engram is off to a rocky start in what is the biggest season of his career, missing most of OTAs and all Mini Camp with a hamstring injury.
There is a big contingent of the New York Giant fanbase that is ready to move on from Engram due to injury issues or drops. Engram had a meager catch rate of 55.7% his rookie year, a number that was so in large part to his 6 drops. Engram improved those numbers to 70.3% and 3 drops last year, which is nice to see.
Drops and Injuries:
Drops are just one of the issues that plague Evan. He has played in just 26 of the possible 32 games in his first two seasons as a New York Giant. Engram suffered a concussion and a chest injury during his rookie year, that latter causing him to miss one game. In 2018, Engram was diagnosed with another concussion during the preseason, followed by a Grade 2 MCL Sprain in the Texans game. The MCL injury forced him to miss three games and then Engram suffered another hamstring injury later in the season that cost him two games.
The injuries, coupled with the drop issues, have many Giant fans concerned. Many think Engram is being misused and not cast properly in Pat Shurmur’s offense. Some wonder if he could fetch more back in a trade to help the team in other ways. Those thoughts are not too far-fetched.
On the other hand, it is hard to ignore Engram’s potential once healthy and fully focused. In 26 games, the talented tight end has recorded 109 receptions for 1,299 yards and 9 Touchdowns. That is tantalizing production from the TE spot and production that will be greatly needed in OBJ’s absence.
With and Without Beckham Jr.
2017
- With Beckham: 3.75 catches per game; 37 yards receiving per game
- Without Beckham: 4.5 catches per game; 52 yards receiving per game
2018
- With Beckham Jr.: 3.3 CPG; 36.7 YPG
- Without Beckham Jr.: 5.5 CPG; 80 YPG
The numbers are there. Evan Engram has a monster opportunity to make his mark this year. Giant fans and the Giant front office alike need to see consistency out of the enigmatic tight end before it is too late.
The hope is, his recent hamstring injury was insignificant, and the Giants were simply holding him out for precautionary reasons. If Engram suffers another injury this year, Giant fans across the board will begin to label Engram as “Injury Prone”.