Nez called Evan Engram a "smash" any time he drifts a full round past ADP, highlighting their own selection at pick 118—about 12 spots of closing-line value—as the ideal example. He normally avoids Engram at sticker price but said the tight end becomes an auto-click when paired with rookie quarterback Bo Nix, turning a mild reach on Nix into a balanced stack. Nez argued Engram still commands middle-of-field targets and gives Denver double-stack potential in playoff weeks. His rule: if Engram is available beyond pick 110 in Nix builds, lock him in and worry about secondary correlation later.

Cooterdoodle is thrilled to pivot to Evan Engram if she misses the elite tight-end trio. She trusts Sean Payton’s track record with the position and loves that Payton publicly called Engram his new "joker," a role previously reserved for Taysom Hill. After watching Payton bet on Bo Nix at 1.12—and seeing Nix shatter rookie records—she’s taking Payton at his word that Engram will be a creative focal point who can smash his ADP outside the top 100.

Jason Moore dismissed Evan Engram as a draft day trap, insisting TE6-TE10 finishes are ‘not meaningful seasons’ at an eighth-round price. Moore highlighted Engram’s declining efficiency—yards per catch has fallen from 10.5 to 8.4 to 7.8 over the past three years—and argued that five to six targets a game will translate to only 25-30 yards because the veteran rarely breaks tackles. He prefers the cheaper upside swings going immediately after Engram (David Njoku, rookie Tyler Warren, YAC monster Tucker Kraft, newly paid Jake Ferguson). Moore conceded Engram’s weekly floor is fine in PPR, but without touchdowns or down-field usage he cannot separate from the streaming tier. Verdict: let someone else pay TE8 prices and chase higher-ceiling options instead.

Mike Wright said Evan Engram is ‘primed’ for another productive season and just became an autopick if he slips past the eighth round. Wright expects Engram to inherit Denver’s No. 2 target role behind Courtland Sutton now that the rest of the depth chart (Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, Adam Troutman) lacks proven NFL production. Sean Payton has historically peppered his tight ends—Jimmy Graham averaged 7.8 targets per game under Payton—and Wright believes Engram’s 47 catches in only nine games last year show the 31-year-old can still command volume. After finishing TE6 and TE2 in 2022-23, Engram’s blend of reliable floor (zero career goose eggs in full games) and low acquisition cost (current ADP 8.07) makes him a value for season-long drafters who miss the elite tier.

Jeff Mueller said Evan Engram’s repaired shoulder labrum carries minimal re-injury risk and should not affect his receiving ability. Unlike Colson Loveland’s more violent AC injury, Engram’s labrum tear is stable once range of motion and strength return—benchmarks team doctors would require before clearing him. Mueller added that Sean Payton historically isolates one pass-catching tight end in the slot while asking a blocking specialist—likely Adam Trautman, who blocked on 66 percent of snaps last year—to handle in-line work. If second-year quarterback Bo Nix takes even a modest step, that usage could funnel high-value routes Engram’s way without exposing him to blocking collisions. Given his depressed ADP in the nebulous post-Kittle tier, Mueller is scooping up Engram in best-ball drafts as a cheap path to mid-TE1 numbers.

Ryan Heath said Evan Engram is an easy click in managed leagues now that Sean Payton has only Courtland Sutton going inside the top-60 picks. Engram’s 7.8 targets per game over the last two seasons rank fourth among tight ends, and Payton’s long-standing "Joker" role could keep him on the field despite blocking concerns. With Denver projected to play uptempo and feature heavy play-action, Heath envisions Engram stumbling into red-zone volume similar to Jimmy Graham’s Payton-era usage. The TE is a bit pricey on Underdog, but Heath loves him as a last-starter or hero-TE build in season-long formats where his ADP is several rounds cheaper.

Chris Raybon urged drafters to pass on Evan Engram at his current TE8 price, arguing he may not even finish top-15. Raybon pointed out that Sean Payton is loading the Broncos with weapons—rookie RB RJ Harvey (comped internally to Darren Sproles), J.K. Dobbins, gadget back Jaleel McLaughlin, plus a suddenly deep WR room of Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims. Payton’s history of rotating tight ends (Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, Greg Dulcich when healthy) further caps Engram’s snap share. Raybon also noted a subtle production dip in Engram’s final Jaguars season and said he could end up the "least sexy Bronco" in a week-to-week guessing game. Bottom line: too many mouths to feed to justify a single-digit TE cost.

Summerlin believes Evan Engram (ADP 93.7) is being undervalued after landing in Denver with Bo Nix. The Broncos ranked 30th in tight-end targets last year, but Engram was peppered whenever he was on the field, earning targets on 26.6 % of routes in only nine games and 22.2 % over the last three seasons (8th among qualifying TEs). In full-PPR DraftKings scoring, Engram’s catch volume mitigates his historical lack of touchdowns. Summerlin projects him to immediately become Nix’s security blanket and sees easy TE1 finishes if Denver’s route tree condenses around Engram and Courtland Sutton.

Engram’s Round-10, Pick-117 ADP is a punchline Harris can’t wait to exploit. The former Jaguar owns a 19.9 % career target share and posted 23.6 % and 25.2 % the last two years. New OC Sean Payton hasn’t featured a TE above 19 % since 2015, but Mike Clay argues that’s because he lacked a talent like Engram; Jimmy Graham delivered three top-2 seasons under Payton earlier in the decade. Rookie QB Bo Nix ranked fifth in sub-10-yard pass attempts and 26th in aDOT, meshing perfectly with Engram’s short-area prowess. Denny Carter believes a top-5 PPR finish is in play, and Harris agrees given the price.

Ryan Noonan highlighted Evan Engram’s +850 price to score eight or more touchdowns as a mispriced prop. He argued eight scores is hardly a stretch given Engram’s expected red-zone usage: Courtland Sutton will command outside attention, leaving Engram as the primary middle-of-the-field and goal-line option in Sean Payton’s scheme that historically peppers tight ends inside the 10. Payton’s Saints averaged 26 tight-end red-zone targets per year; Engram saw 17 on a much worse Jacksonville offense last season. With Denver projected to operate inside the 20 far more often, Noonan sees double-digit touchdown upside at a price implying just 10.5% probability.

Jim Coventry argued that Evan Engram, going around TE7, carries more risk than upside in Denver. Sean Payton may envision a joker role similar to Taysom Hill or Darren Sproles, but Coventry stressed that a potentially elite defense and dominant rushing attack could limit overall pass volume. Cortland Sutton owns the No. 1 role, and Marvin Mims handles bubble screens and deep shots, leaving Engram—now 31—likely fighting for third in the target pecking order. After a career season two years ago, Engram missed half of 2024 and managed only 365 yards (40 per game) in nine contests. Age-related decline plus a run-heavy script could make him a middling fantasy option unless Denver shifts to pass heavy, a scenario Coventry deems unlikely.

Jim Coventry cautioned drafters about Evan Engram at TE7, noting that Sean Payton may want to "weaponize" him in a joker role, but the overall environment in Denver could limit his targets. Coventry expects the Broncos to ride a dominant defense and a deep running game, leaving fewer pass attempts for Bo Nix. Engram, now 31, managed only 365 yards across nine games last season after missing time with injury and could find himself no better than third in the target pecking order behind Cortland Sutton and Marvin Mims. Given the age decline risk and the potential for a run-heavy script, Coventry believes Engram’s price requires a pass volume that might not materialize.

Engram slides to TE11 (Pick 117) after joining Denver, and Harris cannot wait to capitalize. Engram owns a 19.9% career target share (25% last year) and now fills Sean Payton’s Joker role with rookie Bo Nix, whose league-low aDOT should funnel underneath looks. While Payton’s recent TE usage sat below 19%, Harris notes that none of those rooms had a talent on Engram’s level since Jimmy Graham’s trio of top-2 seasons. Nick Kosmider reports Denver views Engram as the final offensive piece, and Harris agrees a top-5 finish is firmly in play.

Jonathan Lange noted that Sean Payton finally has the move-tight-end “joker” he’s been chasing after Denver signed Evan Engram. Last year’s Broncos TE leader, Lucas Krull, mustered only 19 receptions, so the depth chart is wide-open. Engram is currently going undrafted in Flex Four, but Lange believes a healthy season could land him in the TE5-10 range thanks to minimal target competition beyond Courtland Sutton. He cautioned against dreaming of a top-3 finish yet encouraged best-ball drafters to scoop Engram for free as a high-ceiling TE2.

JSU loves Evan Engram’s fit in Denver after Sean Payton brought him in as Bo Nix’s security blanket. He reminded Wiley that Payton lives on check-downs and quick throws, exactly where Engram thrives. JSU expects the tight end to be "peppered with targets" between the 20s and notes that Engram’s established red-zone ability gives him both floor and touchdown upside. With only Courtland Sutton locked into a role and the rest of the Broncos’ receiver room "interchangeable," JSU sees a realistic path for Engram to finish as a top-five fantasy tight end while costing only mid-round capital in Best Ball drafts.

Andy Holloway grabbed Evan Engram in the 11th after confirming the next three drafters already had tight ends. Holloway had Engram one spot ahead of David Njoku and favored him because Engram’s connection with Bo Nix offers a more stable weekly target floor than Njoku’s unsettled quarterback situation. He views Engram as the final stop before the position drops into touchdown-dependent streamers, making this a low-risk, solid-ceiling pick in the late rounds.

Pat Kerrane said Evan Engram is one of the loosest ADP tags on the board, calling him a full-blown every-down candidate who is somehow drifting in the 110-to-120 range on Underdog drafts. Kerrane noted that Sean Payton has historically funneled routes to his primary tight end (Jimmy Graham and Jared Cook both logged 65-plus route-participation seasons under Payton), and Engram faces minimal target competition behind an unproven receiver room headlined by Courtland Sutton and a cluster of rookies. Bo Nix’s short-area accuracy (70-percent completion rate at Oregon, fourth-lowest collegiate aDOT among ’24 draft QBs) fits Engram’s chain-moving skill set perfectly. Kerrane argued that if Engram runs even 70 percent of routes he can out-produce Sam LaPorta, yet he costs 30 picks less and lets drafters lock in Bowers or McBride early while still grabbing a discounted TE2 later.

Erickson reminded listeners that Evan Engram has never finished worse than TE6 in the first year with a new team—a quirky but telling trend that held with the Giants and Jaguars—and said the ‘Joker’ is positioned to repeat that feat in Jacksonville’s Calvin Ridley-less passing attack. Engram’s 116 receptions led all tight ends last season, and Doug Pederson has publicly vowed to keep scheming him into space. With rookie Brian Thomas Jr. still learning the playbook and Zay Jones gone, Erickson projects another triple-digit target season that easily clears Engram’s TE10 ADP.

Ryan McDowell called Evan Engram the easiest dynasty buy on the board, baffled he sits at TE17 (152 overall)—his lowest ADP since December 2022. McDowell stressed that Sean Payton specifically went out and acquired Engram, finally giving the offensive mastermind a legitimate pass-catching tight end instead of the no-names Denver has cycled through. Payton’s history with Jimmy Graham and other hybrid ‘joker’ pieces suggests Engram will be schemed into mismatches rather than asked to block. Cooling concurred, noting Denver’s receiver group behind Cortland Sutton is mostly power-slot types like Devontae Vail and rookie Pat Bryant, paving the way for Engram to be the Broncos’ No. 2 target. At 30, Engram still runs like a big slot and only needs one or two 70-catch seasons to smash his 13th-round dynasty cost. Managers unwilling to pay first-round startup prices for Brock Bowers or Trey McBride can draft Engram as a cheap TE1 bridge with legitimate weekly top-six upside.

Davis Mattek jumped on Evan Engram nearly a full round past ADP and called it "a big projected-points win." Engram saw 115 targets last year, ranked top-five in route participation, and still plays in Doug Pederson’s tight-end-friendly scheme. Mattek argued that securing a bankable TE1 floor lets him keep chasing ceiling at the other positions in his four-RB hyper-fragile construction. He told listeners that correlation is great, but when a volume piece like Engram free-falls you grab him and worry about stacking later.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound predicted Evan Engram’s Underdog price will rise over the next few weeks. Pat’s logic is purely market-driven: drafters who reach for rookie quarterback Bo Nix in the mid rounds are looking for an affordable, athletic tight-end stack partner and Engram fits that bill far better than Courtland Sutton or Denver’s low-ceiling receivers. Since the NFL Draft Jacksonville added only late-round rookies Pat Bryant and (RB) Harvey, leaving Doug Pederson’s target tree almost identical to 2023 when Engram logged a 22 % target share and the second-most receptions among tight ends. Pat sees Engram sneaking into the late-ninth round once correlation hunters catch on and advised scooping him now while he still falls past pick 120 in many rooms.