Jaguars TE Evan Engram ‘had butterflies’ going into preseason debut

Tight end Evan Engram showed the kind of impact he can have against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the preseason, scoring the Jacksonville Jaguars’ lone touchdown on the night. He spoke to the local media after the game and touched on several topics, including his first appearance in front of Jags fans.

Engram praised his teammates, “Trevor Lawrence did a great job, O-Line did a great ball and we were able to punch one in”. Regarding his nine-yard touchdown, he said that Doug Pederson “trusted us to get it in and made a great call”. The tight end later told the media that his debut in front of Jaguars fans “was a little weird“, via 1010 XL.

"It feels weird at first. I had some butterflies going which was always good, but it was fun. The energy, felt really good on my first game home and we’re taking a lot of pride in putting the good product on the field for our fans, so they can pack it out even more and bring the same energy they brought tonight."

A first-round pick by the New Giants in 2017, Engram signed a one-year deal worth $9 million with the Jags in free agency. During his five-year stint with Big Blue, the former Ole Miss product hauled in 262 receptions for 2,828 yards with 16 touchdowns. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2020. Here’s Engram’s touchdown in case you missed it.

Evan Engram showed the impact he can have on the Jaguars offense

Tight end was one of the Jaguars’ biggest needs in the offseason, so it made sense that they pursued Engram. Although he’s struggled with drops and mental errors throughout his career, he’s also shown the ability to make plays.

The Jaguars ranked last in the NFL in points scored last sseason and their offense only got two touchdowns from the tight end position. Engram, along with Dan Arnold, should change that this year.

Engram has only scored 10 touchdowns over the last four seasons but he will have a realistic chance to tie his career high of six with the Jaguars. After all, Doug Pederson has a history of leaning heavily on his tight ends and it shouldn’t be any different in Jacksonville.

Even though Engram isn’t an top-echelon tight end, he should be able give the Jaguars’ offense a boost, and his preseason touchdown could be a sign of things to come.