What are everyone's thoughts on Evan Engram?

In comment 13951689 Jimmy Googs said:

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I didn't give you any grief on Engram. I have been consistent from start that I really liked him (and still really do). But to me he was a guy that could have been had in the beginning of Rd 2 and maybe mid Rd 2.

Didn't a few teams who picked after the Giants (I believe the Falcons were one?) say they were hoping to get him in Round 1? So no, he couldn't have been gotten in the 2nd round.

Give me Pick 23 every single year, and tell Me I can pick a guy with this Upside and Production.

You say you wanted to pick him in the second round??? Well, I'm even smarter---I would want to pick him in the 4th or 5th round.... but I'd be over-joyed to find a guy like this at 23 every year, forever and ever!

He's an absolute Mismatch/Field Tilter.... he doesn't need to improve to be a heckuva #23---and my bet is that he'll get a helluva lot better!

He appeared in 14 games for Tampa Bay, starting all 14, and racked up 26 receptions for 432 yards with 6 TDs.

David Njoku (The U) was drafted six spots after Engram. He appeared in 16 games for Cleveland, making 4 starts, and racked up 32 receptions for 386 yards with 4 TDs.

Evan Engram appeared in 15 games, making 11 starts, and racked up 64 receptions for 722 yards with 6 TDs.

No surprise, Engram made the PFWA All-Rookie Team, and as I said earlier, he should've made the Pro Bowl, too.

We'll never know if Engram would have been available 30 picks later. There wasn't another TE drafted until late in the 3rd round (Jonnu Smith, TN, 18, 157, 2). But for the kind of production we got from Engram in a year when everyone else seemingly crashed and burned, I don't see how anyone can label his pick a "reach."

since I think he was the last receiver standing come Thanksgiving.

But that has really nothing to do with what I said.

or will never be this or that..essentially they put a cap on him.

The kid is going into only his second year....jeepers, it's like nobody has the capacity for growth.

The jury is very much still out on him. The fact that his statistics were comparable to Shockey's rookie year goes to show how misleading statistics can be. After OBJ, Marshall, and Shepard all got hurt, Engram became the top pass receiving option by default and it's not like he was dominant in that role. Shockey was dominant!

In comment 13952652 Milton said:

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The jury is very much still out on him. The fact that his statistics were comparable to Shockey's rookie year goes to show how misleading statistics can be. After OBJ, Marshall, and Shepard all got hurt, Engram became the top pass receiving option by default and it's not like he was dominant in that role. Shockey was dominant!

Isn't that the problem though. Rookies are supposed to be weaned. Shockey was successful, in part, because he didn't have to carry everything and everyone. Engram was a freshman forced to take graduate classes. When things go to normal, we will have a fairer appreciation of what he really is or will be.

He needs to increase his catch%.

In comment 13952652 Milton said:

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The jury is very much still out on him. The fact that his statistics were comparable to Shockey's rookie year goes to show how misleading statistics can be. After OBJ, Marshall, and Shepard all got hurt, Engram became the top pass receiving option by default and it's not like he was dominant in that role. Shockey was dominant!

Yes, but that's not the point. Shockey was the 14th pick of the draft (the first TE chosen), Engram the 23rd (the second TE chosen). But just for a comparison, Shockey's rookie season he had 74 receptions for 894 yards with 2 TDs...on a team that was much more talented and went 10-6.

Also, Engram's production was fairly consistent from his first game to his last. It's not like he began putting up huge numbers by default.

In comment 13952652 Milton said:

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The jury is very much still out on him. The fact that his statistics were comparable to Shockey's rookie year goes to show how misleading statistics can be. After OBJ, Marshall, and Shepard all got hurt, Engram became the top pass receiving option by default and it's not like he was dominant in that role. Shockey was dominant!

I mean Hilliard got hurt Shockey's rookie year so there were catches to go around than there would have been. And being the only option is a double edged sword, you can easily say it makes it easier to shut him down. Shockey for all his greatness also had only 2 TDs in that regular season.

But it feels like just yesterday to me and you can forget the statistics, Shockey was a force his rookie year such that I had visions of him being a future league MVP. As it was, he was the rookie of the year and it wasn't even close. Unfortunately, he was never the same dominant player the rest of his career. It may not show in the statistics, but he never had the same explosiveness that he did as a rookie.

and that didn't help him much.

or why Shockey's success as a rookie should be used to downplay Engrams success.

They are different players and their rookie seasons also couldn't have been any different in terms of scheme, surrounding talent, coaching and chemistry.

Engram is a good player. We wanted a Jordan Reed type of player for this offense and thats what we got (he's actually a lot better than Reed.) No one should be comparing Engram to Shockey. Thats just unfair.

far more than mac did/would i expect him to be a key player for them this year,he is a future star the change of head coach is best news for engram and even more so for ellison they will be used the way they should have been day 1 now

What is not to like?

Half the TE's in the league cannot block.

There were a bunch of games this past season when EE was the only receiver on the field who was drafted at all. I mean, if Shockey were playing with practice squad players, would his production have been better than EEs? Idk...

Engram should be a receiver. Shockey was a classic "bad ass" - gave no quarter, expected none ....

Shockey was the reincarnation of Babe Ruth - ill mannered, loud, the kind of guy that would try to tear your testicles off at the bottom of the pile.