Giants draft Ole Miss tight end, who is more like a receiver
The Giants went into this year’s NFL draft wanting to add a tight end and they did, but not the one most expected them to take.
With the 23rd pick in the first round Thursday night, the Giants selected Evan Engram of Mississippi — Eli Manning’s school — and it figures this Ole Miss product will make the veteran quarterback happy. He can fly, running 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and has uncommon pass-catching skills, but at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, he is built and plays more like a receiver than a tight end.
“We think he can be a dynamic weapon in our offense,” said general manager Jerry Reese, who added Engram can be a “matchup nightmare” for opposing defenses.
With the pick, the Giants passed on David Njoku, the tight end from Miami by way of Cedar Grove, N.J., who many draft followers believed was the second-rated tight end after O.J. Howard of Alabama. Clearly, the Giants preferred Engram to Njoku.
“I knew I deserved to be [a first-round pick],” Engram said from his home in Tyler Springs, Ga. “I knew for a fact I should be.”
Returning to college for his senior year, Engram had a big finish with 65 receptions for 926 yards and eight touchdowns. The Giants clocked him as the second-fastest player at the scouting combine behind only receiver John Ross, who went No. 9 to the Bengals.
McAdoo called Engram “a willing striker,” but he is not a blocker.
“We need to refine his fundamentals,” McAdoo said. “We have some things that we’re going to have to work on with him.”
Reese likened Engram to Jordan Reed of the Redskins, a typical new-age tight end known far more for his pass-catching than blocking.
“This guy is cut from the same type of cloth,” Reese said.
Engram liked the sound of that.
“I want to be better than him,” he said. “That’s a tough task.”
The Giants had not taken a tight end in the first round since 2002, when they selected Jeremy Shockey. Their roster has Will Tye returning at tight end, and in free agency, they signed Rhett Ellison from the Vikings, a veteran known almost exclusively for his blocking.
“I don’t think that any of the tight ends block that great in this draft,” Reese said.
The Ellison signing then may have given the Giants the luxury of taking Engram, who can line up in a variety of spots and provide a down-the-field presence.
“The fastest way to the end zone is down the middle of the field,” coach Ben McAdoo said.
Engram did not visit the Giants, nor did he work out for them.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” he said.
Asked if he believed he is ready to play right away, he said: “I know I’m ready to come in and make an immediate impact. The Giants were missing a piece like me.”
The Giants did not take an offensive lineman in a year when most experts believed this was the weakest crop in years. The first offensive lineman selected, Garett Bolles of Utah, did not go off the board until No. 20, when the Broncos finally took one. It is the latest an offensive lineman has been taken in NFL draft history. Two other highly rated prospects, Ryan Ramzcyk of Wisconsin, who went to the Saints at No. 32, and Cam Robinson of Alabama, were available, but the Giants didn’t like either of them enough.
The first round was good to the Giants, though, as there was not a run on the players they were most interested in and predicted would be in their cluster after 22 picks. They loved Howard, but they had no hope he would drop to them. Howard lasted longer than expected, going to the Buccaneers at No. 19. Reese said he did not try to trade up to get Howard.
When it came time for the Giants to pick, two linebackers they liked — Reuben Foster of Alabama and Zach Cunningham of Vanderbilt — were on the board.
The noise the Giants might trade up to take Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes as Manning’s eventual replacement proved to be just that — noise. The Giants did not love him, but the Chiefs did, as they traded up 17 spots (to No. 10 from 27) to select Mahomes.
Draft profile
Evan Engram
School: Mississippi, Position: Tight end
Picked: Round 1, 23rd overall
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 235
What he offers: This is not your father’s tight-end position, as this guy is a sleek athlete who can get down the field, line up in the slot, line up outside and on occasion line up at the end of the line like a traditional tight end. He will abuse linebackers trying to cover him. One scout said he is faster and more athletic than Jordan Reed of the Redskins. Not big or strong enough to be much of a blocker. Does not lack for confidence.
What’s next
What to look for from the Giants on Day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3) of the draft: Well, everyone said this is not a good year to be looking for offensive linemen in the first round. The Giants passed up on prospects they did not love, but they need to add someone who can compete for a starting job at offensive tackle, meaning they cannot wait too long in this draft.
Perhaps Antonio Garcia of Troy will be there in the second round at No. 55. For the 33rd consecutive year, the Giants did not take a linebacker in the first round, even though there were some tempting players on the board. They would like to find one, if it fits. A pass-rusher always is a possibility, and DeMarcus Walker of Florida State would be excellent value in the second round and a steal if he lasts into the third round.