The Jacksonville Jaguars expect tight end Evan Engram to bolster their offense in 2022 and Adam Rank of NFL Media can’t wait to see what the former Ole Miss Rebel can do on the football field.
Rank has been taking an in-depth look at each NFL team ahead of training camp and discussing their potential MVPs on both sides of the ball, a player poised to breakout and one everyone should get familiar with. He dubbed Engram a “new face to know“, noting that he will benefit from playing under head coach Doug Pederson, who has a penchant for running a tight-end friendly scheme.
"All right, hear me out. When you look at Doug Pederson’s time in Philly — and other stops — his offense has always made use of his tight end. In fact, Eagles tight ends led the NFL with 8.2 receptions per game from 2016 to 2020 under Pederson. I know some of you might say Dan Arnold could be the guy who benefits this fall. And maybe that’s true. But I’ve been waiting for Engram to break out for so long. At least indulge me."
Engram has been the talk of the town over the last few months. Besides singing a one-year deal worth $9 million with the Jaguars in March, he got engaged to Emily HazelNicole Caro.
The Jaguars expect big things from Evan Engram in 2022
Dan Arnold became a key cog on the Jaguars’ offense after arriving via trade. He will still have an important role in 2022 but he will take a backseat to Engram, who is expected to become a focal point in the passing game. This is clear when you take into account that Engram’s salary will be significantly higher than Arnold’s.
As Rank noted, Doug Pederson has used tight ends heavily. Not only with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he got Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert involved but also with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played a role in Travis Kelce’s rise to stardom as the offensive coordinator. It’s not hard to envision both Arnold and Engram getting plenty of targets but the latter’s workload will probably be higher.
Even with his mental errors and drops, Engram has put together solid numbers throughout his career. He’s never logged fewer than 44 catches in a season and made the Pro Bowl back in 2020 despite the fact that he only found the endzone once. If the former first-round pick can come down with a few clutch grabs and score six or seven touchdowns, he will be in a favorable position to cash in next year, when he’s set to become a free agent once again.
Engram doesn’t have to be an All-Pro tight end for the Jaguars but he was brought in to help them win games. And if he does, it will then have been a sound investment.