Jaguars’ Evan Engram ranks as top-10 tight end by ESPN

After his first year with the Jaguars, the league seemed to notice Evan Engram.

During his sixth NFL season, Engram posted career highs in receptions and yards and set the Jaguars’ single-season franchise record for receptions and yards for a tight end.

In ESPN’s yearly series on the best players at every position, ranked by coaches, players, and executives, Engram ranked as the game’s eighth-best tight end after his record-setting year.

“He can create mismatches from various alignments, and he can win against various types of defensive personnel — linebacker, corner, safety,” a high-ranking NFL official said in the ESPN survey. “Underrated blocker.”

Engram rewrote his career arc after five seasons with the New York Giants, catching 73 balls for 766 yards in 2022. He hauled in 12 catches for 124 yards and a pair of scores during the playoffs.

His catches, yards, and yards after the catch (475) were in the top four of all tight ends last season.

The former Ole Miss Rebels’ season was so outstanding that one person surveyed had Engram as the game’s fifth-best tight end.

Engram was ranked behind Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, Dallas Goedert, Darren Waller, T.J. Hockenson, and Kyle Pitts. He slotted ahead of Pat Freiermuth and Dawson Knox.

In the four years since ESPN began its survey of the league’s best players, Engram is the first Jaguars’ tight end to crack the top 10.

Currently, Engram is the team’s highest-ranked player, as linebacker Foye Oluokun ranked as an honorable mention and cornerback Tyson Campbell received votes, but was ultimately unranked entirely.

Engram and the Jaguars are in the midst of a fluid contract situation, as the team placed the franchise tag on Engram back in March. If Engram plays under the tag, he is set to make just shy of $12 million.

Still to be listed are running back (7/14), offensive tackle (7/15), guards and centers (7/16), quarterbacks (7/17), and wide receivers (7/18).