Evan Engram would be the perfect trade target for the Steelers

 New York Giants tight end, Evan Engram, has established himself as one of the league’s premier pass-catching threats at the position. With the Steelers in need of weapons on offense, they should take a look at the young playmaker.

With the Steelers in desperate need of offensive weapons, they should take a look at Giants tight end, Evan Engram for help. Since being drafted in 2017, Evan Engram has been a dangerous receiving threat. Through 3 seasons in the league, this notion has not changed. Engram has become a weapon for the Giants and must be accounted for whenever he is on the field.

Engram has amassed over 1700 yards and 12 touchdowns so far in his young career. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, there is an underlying story behind them. The Giants franchise has been abysmal the past 3 seasons. Their coaching has been atrocious; Engram is about to have his 3rd coach in 4 seasons, so his ability to impact games has been deterred by his team’s management.

Secondly, Engram has missed valuable time due to injury. In 2018, Engram missed 5 games as a result of a hyperextended knee. This past season, Engram missed 8 games with a foot injury.

While this may make you wary of acquiring Engram, the injuries were not as crippling as one may think. With the Giants being nowhere close to playoff contention, it did not make sense for the team to rush him back for nothing and risk a more serious injury.

When Engram is on the field, he has consistently made plays. This season, Engram was in the midst of a breakout campaign prior to his foot injury. During a Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Engram displayed how dangerous he was capable of being.

The first play coming out of the half with the Giants down 18, Engram caught a 10-yard curl, made a man miss, and the rest was history. Engram went 75 yards untouched down the sideline, sparking his team for a comeback win.

It’s very uncommon to see tight ends have that type of run after a catch. Most tight ends are purely used for possession or red zone purposes. However, Engram has a different type of ability. In the combine, Engram shocked scouts by running a 4.42 forty yard dash. Engram is 6’3″ 240 pounds and runs a 4.42 forty. That combination of size and speed is a nightmare for opposing defenses to handle. All you have to do is get the ball in his hands and he will make a play.

With the Steelers in serious need of an offensive weapon, Engram would be a perfect candidate. Pairing up Engram with other young talented players such as Juju Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson can seriously open up the offense and make the team even more dangerous.

Now, being that the Giants are not shopping Engram, what would it take to pry him away? While people may be cautious about trading pick 49, it may be worth it in this scenario. Many fans are clamoring for the team to draft a tight end at 49 anyway or sign a new tight end in free agency. Despite the popularity of these choices, both of these options are not the smartest route for the Steelers to take.

Tight ends are not a premium position and it would be foolish to draft one at 49. If the Steelers were to make a move for a tight end at 49, they should utilize the trade route for a proven player. The draft is always a risk which is why it’s not worth it to gamble on a tight end.

Secondly, free agency is fool’s gold. Average NFL players get thrown mega money, and usually, those contracts do not work out. Engram is a proven commodity in the NFL, is still only 25 years old, and is currently on his rookie deal.

Being that the Giants have had such a poor record in recent years, a premium tight end is not a high priority for a rebuilding team that could use more draft picks. That being said the Steelers should investigate this situation. If they play their cards right, they could end up with a much-needed addition to the offense.