After enjoying a career resurrection during his two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, tight end Evan Engram has positioned himself as one of the premiere tight ends in the league.
As he approaches 30 years of age, as well as his eighth NFL season, should fantasy managers expect continued excellence from the veteran tight end? Or should they begin to anticipate the inevitable decline in Engram’s numbers?
Here is the fantasy outlook for Engram entering the 2024 season.
Evan Engram’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
Quite simply, 2023 was the best season of Engram’s career. He led all tight ends in targets (143 — 11th-most overall), and his 114 receptions were just two short of the NFL record for a single season by a tight end (Zach Ertz in 2018).
His reception total was 41 more than he had ever had in a season. Engram’s previous best came in 2022 with the Jaguars (73). His receiving yards (963) were also a career-high, as was his catch percentage (79.7%).
Engram was not a deep-ball threat as he posted a career-low in yards per reception (8.4), and his four touchdown receptions, while matching his total from 2022, were tied for the fewest among players who had at least 100 catches last season.
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Engram was also a player who got better as the 2023 season progressed.
Over his final six games, Engram averaged 8.3 receptions and 73.2 receiving yards a game and scored all four of his touchdowns in that six-game stretch. He also caught 82% of all passes thrown to him.
Is Engram a Good Fantasy Pick?
Engram is the TE6 in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings.
While Engram put up impressive numbers last season, there is a noticeable split of his numbers that coincides with the absence of wide receiver Christian Kirk.
When Kirk was in the lineup for the first 12 games, Engram averaged 7.6 targets and 6.2 receptions a game, along with 50.5 receiving yards a game and one total touchdown catch.
But Kirk missed the final five games of the season, and in those games, Engram’s numbers dramatically improved: 10.4 targets and 8.2 receptions per game, 71.4 receiving yards per game, and three touchdown receptions.
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A case could certainly be made that Engram’s best numbers came about when the Jaguars’ best wide receiver was out of the lineup.
Additionally, the Jaguars signed Gabe Davis away from the Buffalo Bills and drafted wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., adding to the arsenal of weapons for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
This raises the possibility that there will be less attention paid to Engram this season. At the very least, fantasy managers should not expect 143 targets for Engram this year.
In the end, Engram has established himself as one of the best tight ends in fantasy, and while his numbers may take a hit this season, do not expect a dramatic drop-off. He is a prime option for fantasy managers once you reach the seventh or eighth rounds of your draft.