Jaguars HC Doug Pederson: TE Evan Engram can be QB's 'best friend'

Tight end Evan Engram spent his first five NFL seasons with the New York Giants after they acquired him in the first round of the 2017 draft and encountered both ups and downs over that time. Engram earned a single Pro Bowl nod (2020) but also gained a reputation for dropping passes — John Shipley of FanNation's Jaguar Report notes the 27-year-old has been credited with 29 career drops — and was allowed to hit free agency last month. 

Engram put pen to paper on a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars that reportedly could be worth up to $10 million, and head coach Doug Pederson somewhat explained the decision to add Engram while speaking at the league's annual meetings this week. 

"I just love his athleticism, his route running," Pederson said of Engram, according to John Oehser of the Jaguars' website. "He's a tough guy. He's a willing participant to block."

Pederson and company will be looking for Engram to do more than open holes in the rushing attack and protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He finished his final Giants campaign with 46 catches for 408 yards and only three touchdowns. 

"If you look at any successful quarterback in the league right now, tight end is probably at the top of the list for a quarterback," Pederson added about ideally getting the best out of Engram as a target. "That one position: Everything's kind of right over the ball, right in front of the quarterback. You also have to have a dynamic receiver as well, but that tight end position becomes the quarterback's best friend."

The harsh truth is that both Engram and the Giants needed to move on from what has to be classified as a previous draft mistake considering his overall body of work and lengthy injury history.