Evan Engram was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars a little over a week ago. After visiting with the Los Angeles Chargers, he finds himself signing with their division rivals, the Denver Broncos. The deal Engram inked is reportedly a two-year deal worth $23 million, with $16.5 million of that fully guaranteed. The two-time Pro Bowl tight end now joins forces with sophomore quarterback Bo Nix. They team up on a roster in desperate need of a consistent pass-catcher. Does Engram have the potential to lead his new squad in targets? Is Brenton Strange worth a flier? What’s next for Jacksonville? We’ll be looking at players who benefit from the Evan Engram signing with the Broncos and players whose fantasy value took a hit with the move.
Winners of the Evan Engram Signing
Evan Engram: TE, Denver Broncos
The biggest winners in this scenario could potentially be the two tight ends. Last season, Engram looked every bit like an elite tight end when he was healthy. When he missed time, Strange filled in without missing a beat. Getting the two away from each other should be a massive boost to the value of both. Engram enters his ninth NFL season, splitting time with the Jaguars and New York Giants, and has amassed 496 receptions for 4,922 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns.
When healthy, Engram is one of the surest target earners at the position, and when added to a roster that lacks a stud receiver, he can easily become a high-volume fantasy option once again. The general rule for predicting tight end fantasy success is to find a tight end that could be first or second in targets on his team, Engram meets that criteria with ease. Look out for a TE5 finish as his floor.
Brenton Strange: TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Strange is the definition of a breakout projection. Through two NFL seasons, he has totalled only 45 catches for 446 yards. That in itself is not enough to indicate a large spike in fantasy value but when you factor in him being a backup tight end for the majority of that time it’s easy to find a world in which Strange flourishes as the TE1 for a Jaguars team that has sophomore receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and little else. Even as a backup in 2024, Strange was able to break the 10-point mark in six weeks. If you subscribe to the late or great tight end draft theory, he is a potential steal late in drafts.
Bo Nix: QB, Denver Broncos
As a rookie, Bo Nix far exceeded any expectations the fantasy community had of him. Had it not been for the monster production of Jayden Daniels, Nix would have received far more love. As it stands now, he is being slightly undervalued in fantasy drafts. After years of running one of the best high-volume, low-depth pass offenses with Drew Brees, head coach Sean Payton drafted Nix, who ran a similar dink-and-dunk offense at Oregon.
Nix and Payton seemed to be a match made in heaven that was hampered only by the team’s lack of any high-end offensive weapons. While Engram may not have the sex appeal of a Travis Kelce, his high-volume skillset fits this offensive scheme perfectly and could easily see him as the go-to option for Nix and a perfect check-down target. He finished as QB7 last season with Courtland Sutton as his most notable weapon and easily has QB5 or better potential if he can build a rapport with Engram and avoid the sophomore jinx.
Brian Thomas Jr: WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Easily the biggest winner on the Jaguars side of things is receiver Brian Thomas Jr.. He far exceeded expectations as a rookie, finishing as WR4 in half-PPR scoring. It’s difficult to believe that a rookie who finished as WR4 last year could see his production increase, but his only competition for targets was Engram and receiver Christian Kirk, who have both moved on to new teams.
As it stands, the battle for the second passing option on Jacksonville comes down to Brenton Strange, receiver Gabe Davis, and running back Travis Etienne. If the Jaguars do not add a Day 1 or Day 2 receiver through the NFL Draft, Thomas Jr. could easily see himself finish as the WR1 overall in 2025. The sky is the limit!
Losers of the Evan Engram Signing
Trevor Lawrence: QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
As mentioned above, the Jaguars now find themselves exceptionally light on offensive weaponry, and while Thomas Jr. is an elite receiver, someone else will need to step up for Lawrence to have any chance at salvaging a floundering career. After back-to-back QB13 or better finishes, Lawrence saw his fantasy production fall right off a cliff in 2024, finishing as QB27 in 6-point-per-passing leagues. Not only did he fail to throw a third consecutive 4,000-yard season, but he failed to even reach 3,000 yards, finishing with only 2,045.
This drop-off in production can be attributed to injuries to both Kirk and Engram. With both players now on different teams and with no replacements in sight, things could go from bad to worse for Lawrence in a hurry. He needs to start hoping that Jacksonville goes all-in on offense at the draft.
Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., & DeVaughn Vele: WRs, Denver Broncos
Courtland Sutton was the closest thing the Broncos had to a bonafide pass-catcher, and even he was nothing special. The lack of depth and high-end talent in the Broncos’ offense left a massive opportunity at WR2. Unfortunately for those youngsters, the Broncos brought in a legitimate target hog. While Engram isn’t a receiver, he will finish as one of the top two options on the team.
At this point, the trio of young receivers needs to either wait for an Engram injury or a massive increase in passing volume. An Engram injury is an ever-present possibility. Until that happens, it makes these three the only stash options for fantasy managers.
Let us know who YOU think is the biggest winner and loser over at The Fantasy Advice Network.
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