Player: Evan Engram 

Position: Tight End

College: Mississippi 

Draft Review

It was somewhat of a surprise to see Engram come off the board before David Njoku in the first round on Thursday night. Most pundits had O.J. Howard and Njoku as the top two tight ends on the board. Though, this former Mississippi standout was garnering first-round buzz heading into the draft itself. 

At 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, Engram is an ultra-athletic receiving threat at tight end. He can also line up in the slot for Eli Manning and the Giants. It's this type of versatility that the Giants have been lacking at tight end over the years. It also gives Manning a tremendous threat to go with the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Brandon Marshall in the passing game. 

Though, it was interesing that New York would exhaust its first-round pick on a skill-position player. There seemed to be needs along the offensive and at linebacker here. Nonetheless, the Giants made sure to get the aging Manning yet another top-end target to work with. That can't be considered a bad thing. 

What the Scouts Say

"Makes up for his lack of size with athletic ability and plus speed for the position. Engram has experience as a safety blanket for Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly and can work all three levels of the field. He will appeal strictly to teams looking for a move tight end who can be deployed as a chess piece in a matchup-based passing attack. Engram's ability to stress defenses could land him on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) of the draft and a potential starting role early in his career."

NFL Media

After having run a 4.42 40-yard dash at the combine, it became readily apparent that Engram would provide some major mismatches in the passing game. That was taken to a while new level when he put together an absurd 6.92 three-cone drille. This is a clear indication that Engram was the most athletic of the top-end tight end prospects heading into the draft. It's in this that Engram compares very favorably (per NFL media) to Jordan Reed of the Washington Redskins. 

Depth Chart Competition 

Now that Larry Donnell is no longer a member of the Giants, there was definitely a major hole for the team to fill at tight end. Will Tye performed well in his first two NFL seasons, tallying 90 receptions for 859 yards and five touchdowns during that span. Though, the Giants didn't exhaust a firts-round pick at this position for Tye to take targets away from Engram. That has to be the thought process of those looking to pick up the former Mississippi standout in rookie-pool, re-draft and dynasty leagues this summer. 

Fantasy Outlook 

TE1. Initially, and when looking at his rookie competition, we have to concldue that Engram will have the best stats as a rookie. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the best tight end in the class in the form of O.J. Howard, but there's a ton of competition at tight end and receiver there. While we expect Howard to be the best long-term fantasy option from this clas, Engram is in the best situation to succeed immediately. 

There's no real reason to believe Engram won't be the Giants' starting tight end as a rookie. And with the likes of Brandon Marshall and OBJ on the outside, look for a ton of one-on-one coverages to be thrown his way. Too athletic for opposing linebackers and a physical force against smaller defensive backs, that sets up extremely well for the Ole Miss product early in his career. Look for TE1 production as a rookie.