On Thursday, the Jacksonville Jaguars released two-time Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram. The move adds a decorated player to the free agent market at a position where the New York Jets desperately need help.
If the Jets played a game today, their top tight end would be Jeremy Ruckert, who has zero touchdowns in 41 career games and was one of the lowest-graded blockers at his position in 2024. It is safe to say the Jets badly need to improve their tight end unit this offseason, especially considering how important the position projects to be in Tanner Engstrand’s offensive scheme.
Is Engram worth pursuing for the Jets?
Competition
First of all, it should be noted that Engram is joining a thin free agent market at TE. These are the top free agent TEs based on receptions in 2024:
- Zach Ertz (66, 6th)
- Mike Gesicki (65, 8th)
- Tyler Conklin (51, 17th)
- Juwan Johnson (50, 18th)
- Evan Engram (47, 22nd)
- Austin Hooper (45, 25th)
Keep in mind that Engram missed eight games, yet he still had more receptions than all but four free agent TEs. On a per-game basis, Engram’s 5.2 receptions per game and 40.6 receiving yards per game are both No. 1 among free agents at the position.
Engram clearly headlines the free agent crop, but the Jets have an excellent opportunity to upgrade their tight end unit in the draft. They may have a chance to select highly-touted prospect Tyler Warren at No. 7, while the tight end class as a whole is considered deep. According to NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board, there are currently five tight ends ranked among the top 66 overall prospects.
While the Jets could make a splash (or two) in the draft, it is still important for them to add security at TE before the draft. You never know how the board will fall; the Jets might not get the chance to take Warren or another prospect they like. And even if you do get the prospect(s) you want, there is no telling how they will perform. The Jets need to acquire at least one reliable veteran in free agency who can raise the floor of this unit. They cannot take the risk of going into the regular season with no reliability at TE.
Thus, the Jets should absolutely consider targeting Engram in free agency. He is a decorated player and the most productive pass-catcher available at the position. That makes it a no-brainer to at least give his agent a call.
But how aggressively should the Jets pursue Engram? Let’s dive deeper into his game to figure that out.
What does he have left as a receiver?
Engram is entering his ninth NFL season and will be 31 on opening Sunday. The Jaguars just dumped him. How much gas does he have left in the tank?
In some areas, Engram has shown signs of decline. This past season, Engram set career lows in yards per reception (7.8), YAC per reception (3.3), and receiving touchdowns (1).
Volume was not the issue for Engram. His 5.2 receptions per game ranked fifth-best among TEs and was the third-best mark of his career. He did a solid job of creating separation and was heavily prioritized in Jacksonville’s offense. The Jaguars just didn’t get much yardage out of his targets.
Some of that was not Engram’s fault. He still has excellent hands; he dropped one pass while securing 47 receptions. Only five TEs had more receptions while dropping fewer than two passes.
Engram also had to deal with some subpar quarterback play. Trevor Lawrence played a full game in just five of Engram’s nine appearances, while Mac Jones played the rest of the snaps. Engram averaged 8.9 yards per reception in Lawrence’s full games compared to 6.5 in Jones’ games. Even Lawrence was a liability when it came to giving his receivers catchable passes; he had a career-low adjusted completion percentage of 70%, which was better than only Spencer Rattler and Anthony Richardson among qualifiers.
However, Engram still deserves some blame for his depleted efficiency. He only caught 2 of 6 contested targets (33%), a step behind his 20 of 38 performance (53%) over the previous three seasons (although it is too small a sample to indicate a real decline in skill). Engram was also less elusive than in the past, which is problematic for a TE who catches the majority of his passes in the short area of the field. He forced five missed tackles on 47 receptions (0.106 per reception), a decent drop from his impressive 27 forced missed tackles on 187 receptions (0.144 per reception) from 2022-23. The 2024 league average for tight ends was 0.125.
It is worth noting that Engram missed four games with a hamstring injury from Weeks 2-5, so he played the majority of his snaps after the injury. Engram would then miss the Jaguars’ final four games with a shoulder injury.
In terms of usage, Engram was heavily utilized in the underneath area during his three years in Jacksonville. Since joining the Jaguars in 2022, only 19 of Engram’s 305 targets (6%) were deep (20+ yards downfield). Slightly more than half of them (154 of 305) were in the short range (0-9 yards downfield), and another 48 (16%) were behind the line of scrimmage.
Engram’s best days are probably behind him, but he is still capable of being a sure-handed safety blanket with some playmaking ability after the catch. He has soft hands, can separate with his suddenness and speed, knows how to find soft spots in the zone, and remains fairly agile for the position. Do not expect him to consistently stretch the field or be a dominant red-zone threat, but he is a great option for eating up underneath targets.
Scheme fit
Engram is a versatile TE who can line up anywhere and be effective. In 2024, he ran 39.7% of his routes out of the slot (21st out of 31 TE with 50+ targets), 39.7% from in-line (16th), and 19.8% from out wide (5th).
This would be good news for the Jets. Engram’s versatility is a weapon in any offense, but the Jets need TEs who can be counted up to line up in-line as part of their 12 personnel (2 TE) packages. In Detroit, Engstrand’s Lions liked to run the ball out of 12 personnel, specifically to the TE side, so the TEs must be able to line up in-line and keep the defense honest that a run could be coming. While Engram might be best known for his athleticism and versatility, he spends enough time in-line to avoid being one-dimensional and making his offense predictable.
We have recently talked a lot about the importance of middle-of-the-field passing in the Jets’ projected offensive scheme. In 2024, Engstrand’s Lions led the NFL with 10.6 pass attempts per game that targeted the middle third of the field in the short-to-intermediate range (10-19 yards downfield).
Engram thrives in this area (“MOF”); in 2024, he caught 18 of 25 MOF targets for 163 yards over just nine games. Nearly 40% of his targets (25 of 64) were in this area. The numbers were eye-popping in 2023, as Engram caught 56 of 67 MOF targets for 510 yards, representing 47% of his targets (67 of 143).
Versatile, capable of lining up in-line, and productive in the middle of the field, Engram seems like a great fit as a pass-catcher in New York’s projected offense.
But can he block?
Blocking
Blocking will be critical for New York’s TEs. It’s an important and underrated factor for every NFL team, but it will be particularly vital in New York if the Jets’ offense looks anything like Detroit’s. The Lions heavily rely on 12 personnel and like to run toward the TEs in those situations.
Not to mention, the Jets’ TEs were horrendous at blocking in 2024, so it is an area where New York has immense room to improve in 2025.
Ever since he came out of college, Engram was never known for his blocking. And for most of his NFL career, that held up. Over his first seven seasons, Engram’s yearly average run-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus was 53.1. For perspective, that would have ranked 55th out of 85 qualified TEs (min. 100 run-blocking snaps) in 2024 – the 36th percentile. It’s not awful, but it is comfortably below average.
However, Engram put together a surprising breakout season as a blocker in 2024. His 70.3 run-blocking grade was not only a career-high, but it was third-best at the position, trailing only George Kittle (70.8) and Josh Oliver (74.2).
A small-sample alert is necessary, as Engram played a career-low 101 run-blocking snaps due to his eight missed games. Nonetheless, it was an encouraging sign for a player whose blocking is not considered a strength.
Still, Engram’s half-season of good blocking in 2024 is not enough to cancel out a seven-year body of work. He should be viewed as a below-average blocker, although there is a chance he could surpass that.
Should the Jets go after Engram?
With arguably the worst TE unit in the NFL as things stand today, the Jets are in no place to be picky. Some offensive schemes can afford to neglect the TE position, as it is possible to minimize the position’s importance by design, but it does not look like the Jets will run one of those schemes. The TE spot will be imperative for them, so they need to raise the unit’s floor and eliminate the possibility of a 2021-esque scenario.
If you remember, the 2021 Jets were also integrating a new scheme that valued TEs under Mike LaFleur. For some odd reason, though, general manager Joe Douglas did not get LaFleur the ingredients he needed. Douglas neglected the TE unit in the offseason, leading to a weak TE unit comprised of Ryan Griffin, Tyler Kroft, and Trevon Wesco. This unit’s struggles sunk the Jets’ offense and forced them to move away from the identity LaFleur was trying to establish.
Darren Mougey cannot replicate his predecessor’s mistakes. To prevent that from happening, he has to open his mind a little bit, which means welcoming the possibility of solid options who might not be dreamlike fits for the Jets.
Engram’s below-average blocking, age, and declining numbers are concerning. However, he is a talented and accomplished pass catcher who still offers soft hands. His ability to feast in the middle of the field would fit well in the Jets’ scheme. While his blocking is not great, it is not Mike Gesicki-level bad, and he can still line up in line.
The best-case scenario for New York is to find a long-term TE1 in the draft. To protect themselves in case they do not land their desired TE prospect(s) or if their selections end up acclimating slowly, Engram is an excellent option to hold the fort down going into the draft.
If Engram ends up being the team’s TE1, they could do a lot worse – so long as they complement him with a great blocker in the TE2 role. But if the Jets land Warren or another prospect who proves worthy of the TE1 spot, having Engram as their TE2 is a great place to be.
Without much else to get excited about on the free agent TE market, it would make a lot of sense for the Jets to line up Engram as one of their first calls when the clock strikes 12 on Monday afternoon.
