The Broncos signed Evan Engram yesterday, and it's a move to be excited about, I think. You might not know it based on the last few years, but a little Sean Payton history is in order.
Payton's first two years in Denver have been a wasteland at the position. Denver's highest-ranked tight end in PPR leagues those years ranked 39th -- 2023 Adam Trautman caught 22 passes for 204 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was more of the same in 2024, with Trautman again "leading" the position by catching 13 passes for 188 yards and 2 scores, ranking 49th. A majority of NFL teams had two tight ends who ranked higher than Denver's top option. Tight ends accounted for only 13 percent of Denver's receptions and yards a year ago -- next to last in the NFL.
But when Payton was the head coach in New Orleans, there was usually a strong tight end, and I'm not only talking about Jimmy Graham. Yes, from 2011-2014, Graham ranked 1st or 2nd at the position in fantasy leagues, and Engram isn't at that Hall of Fame level.
But even post-Graham, in the seven years from 2015-2021, the Saints under Payton had three top-15 tight ends, and two more in the top 20. Those guys were elderly Benjamin Watson and Jared Cook, and Coby Fleener. New Orleans actually had two involved tight ends for most of those seasons, with a second player at the position (usually Josh Hill) also finishing with better numbers than any of Denver's tight ends the last two years.
Table shows Payton's top-2 tight ends his last seven years in New Orleans, post Jimmy Graham. Top-20 players at the position are in bold.
| SEAN PAYTON TIGHT ENDS, 2015-2021 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | G | Tgt | No | Rec | TD | Rk |
| 2021 | Adam Trautman | 13 | 43 | 27 | 263 | 2 | 37 |
| 2021 | Juwan Johnson | 14 | 22 | 13 | 159 | 4 | 46 |
| 2020 | Jared Cook | 15 | 60 | 37 | 504 | 7 | 17 |
| 2020 | Adam Trautman | 15 | 16 | 15 | 171 | 1 | 57 |
| 2019 | Jared Cook | 14 | 65 | 43 | 705 | 9 | 7 |
| 2019 | Josh Hill | 16 | 35 | 25 | 226 | 3 | 39 |
| 2018 | Benjamin Watson | 16 | 46 | 35 | 400 | 2 | 20 |
| 2018 | Josh Hill | 16 | 24 | 16 | 185 | 1 | 52 |
| 2017 | Coby Fleener | 11 | 30 | 22 | 295 | 2 | 34 |
| 2017 | Josh Hill | 16 | 22 | 16 | 125 | 1 | 59 |
| 2016 | Coby Fleener | 16 | 81 | 50 | 631 | 4 | 15 |
| 2016 | Josh Hill | 9 | 22 | 15 | 149 | 1 | 50 |
| 2015 | Benjamin Watson | 16 | 110 | 74 | 825 | 6 | 7 |
| 2015 | Josh Hill | 16 | 30 | 16 | 120 | 2 | 47 |
Payton's tight ends his two years in Denver include blocker Adam Trautman and Greg Dulcich, usually injured and also drafted by the previous decision-makers. Payton soured on Dulcich fairly quickly and involved Trautman some -- some -- near the goal line. But that was it.
Enter Engram. He's 30, and the Jaguars, for whatever reason, wanted to save some money rather than bringing him back in 2025. Maybe the new coaching regime wants something different out of the position, or they're comfortable with Brenton Strange, a former second-rounder who had a pair of 60-yard games down the stretch last year, including an 11-catch game against the Jets. And that's fair.
But Engram caught 114 passes in 2023, and has averaged 4.6 receptions per game for his career. I see no reason to think that will change in Denver, which is a little short at the wide receiver position. Looks like a top-10 tight end.
--Andy Richardson