Three tight ends were hit with the franchise tag before Tuesday's deadline, but Evan Engram wasn't one of them. The Giants tight end is now on the verge of hitting unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career next week, and it appears prospective teams are looking at him in a unique way. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, teams have been inquiring about Engram as a possible slot receiver along with his ability to play tight end. Clubs believe, per Rapoport, that the 27-year-old could be a match-up problem as a receiver.
Engram, the No. 23 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, is a tremendous athlete who has shown flashes to be an elite pass-catcher throughout his tenure in New York. Injuries, however, have only allowed him to play one full season, which happened to be his lone Pro Bowl campaign in 2020 when he notched 63 receptions for 654 yards and one touchdown.
As it relates to Engram transitioning to a slot receiver, that's not something totally foreign to him as he's lined up in the slot 44.2% of the time throughout his career, according to Pro Football Focus. Last season, Engram spent a career-high 69.5% of the time lining up in the slot.
Given that versatility, it'll be interesting to see how his market develops in free agency. According to Spotrac's calculated market value, Engram is projected to earn a contract with an average annual salary of $6.7 million. That's compared to other tight ends across the league, so it remains to be seen if teams looking at him as more of a receiver changes what his price tag may ultimately be.
