ESPN's Michael DiRocco writes that Jaguars TE Evan Engram "plans to become a bigger downfield threat than ever before" in 2024. The TE says he wants add explosive plays to his profile and become more of a red-zone option. Will his situation support that?
Jaguars OC Press Taylor: "Evan is such a dynamic ball carrier that a lot of it is to get him the ball as quick as we can, running away from people, but I think an element that he's always had is getting down the field. Sometimes it's trying to find what the matchup is."
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson: "He's definitely capable of [making plays down the field]. He's shown that. We, as a staff, have got to put him in positions to do that. For a guy like Evan, I think that with his skillset, that would only help us with his ability to get down the field, with his speed, strong to the catch point, all that stuff."
Among TEs over the past two years, Engram ranked:
He also ranked just 34th in average depth of target among 36 TEs who drew at least 40 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
Engram's 5.0-yard aDOT for 2023 marked the shortest of his career -- even a 1.1 drop vs. his first season in Jacksonville.
It seems likely that he and the Jaguars will try to move that at least a little further down the field in 2024. But Engram's career 6.4-yard aDOT also suggests we shouldn't bet on a huge boost.
Ultimately, deeper targets and more end-zone work would boost Engram's per-target value. And his high-volume ways through two Jacksonville seasons mean you can simply bet on more of the same in PPR drafts -- with upside beyond if the Jags grant his downfield wishes.
Engram stands out as a value among TEs by our current best ball ADP Market Index.
He also finished last year second at the position in total PPR points. Drafters might be -- and remain -- wary of Engram losing target share to newcomer WR Gabe Davis and/or WR Brian Thomas Jr. But there are multiple paths to Engram paying off at ADP across formats.
He's a solid-to-strong pick at cost, with upside to even lead the position in scoring.
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