One catch for Engram vs. Niners

Engram followed up his four catch, 43 yard, one touchdown Week 1 performance with a dud against his former team. Engram ran a route on just 15 of Bo Nix’s 34 drop backs, a far lower rate than he had in Week 1 against the Chiefs. That kind of role and usage would mean Engram is unusable in fantasy formats. He should remain on waiver wires ahead of the Broncos’ Week 3 matchup against the Rams.

Engram’s trip to paint came from 19 yards out on the team’s second possession to knot the score at seven in the first quarter, which would be the last time the team would be within striking distance for the remainder of the game. Nix’s timing was continually thrown off while under mounting pressure from Steve Spanguolo’s Kansas City defense, resulting in numerous off-target throws. Engram managed to corral two such throws and turn otherwise poor passes into completions for his young quarterback. Regardless of the low yardage total, Engram managed to score for the second time wearing the Denver blue and orange after notching just one touchdown in his first year with the team in 2025. Engram remains a low-upside TE2 ahead of a Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars.

There’s been some mild hype for Engram again in the early offseason, but it’s hard to understand why the Broncos would have brought in Jaylen Waddle if they thought getting Engram more involved in the offense would have been a notable upgrade. Engram belongs in TE2 purgatory for the time being.

Engram is “making light work of linebackers in coverage with eye-widening catches,” which Renck thinks could suggest Engram is headed toward a bounce-back campaign. Renck also believes Engram will be more involved in the offense thanks to Davis Webb’s promotion to offensive coordinator. Webb recruited Engram, his former teammate, to join the Broncos last year. Renck also rightly believes new WR Jaylen Waddle will command safety attention, clearing out the middle of the field for Engram. However, he does not address the fact that Waddle represents a massive increase in target competition. Renck also spends the entire piece comparing Engram to a banana and asks whether said banana is ripe or stuck in a tailpipe. Seriously. Engram can be viewed as a potential TE2 candidate in best ball, but we fear a tailpipe scenario is in play for those hoping he produces a TE1 outcome.

The Broncos have also been heavily scouting the incoming tight end class. Per Paton, the group has “a nice variety of different types.” The team has hosted at least three tight ends on top-30 visits. Engram, 31, earned 77 targets last season. It is tough to envision him meaningfully increasing that number, but the Broncos obviously do not want to tip their hand ahead of next week’s draft, if they do intend to select a tight end. Paton adds that the team is “really honed in” on the players they expect to be available in the picks 45-75 range.

Stowers, who won the Mackey Award in 2025 after catching 62 balls for 769 yards and four touchdowns at Vanderbilt, has gained a little bit of steam ahead of the 2026 draft. He’s widely expected to be the second tight end off the draft board after Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq. Evan Engram’s role in the Denver offense would become an uncertain one if the Broncos invest significant draft capital in Stowers, whose statistical and efficiency profiles are far superior to the hyper-athletic Sadiq. Stowers has also made pre-draft visits with the Cowboys, Rams, and Titans.

Engram again failed to replicate the success he had with the Jaguars from 2022 to 2023, when he amassed 1,729 receiving yards on 187 catches while also scoring eight times. The 31-year-old tight end, who has made a name for himself as a short-yardage merchant, averaged a career-low 4.2 ADOT this season, but still managed 5.9 yards after the catch. Engram signed a two-year contract with the Broncos this offseason and carries a dead cap hit just north of $10.3 million if the team were to release him. Despite obviously being on the back nine of his career, Engram remains a solid option in short-yardage situations and should be locked in for at least one more season with the Broncos. That said, he’ll be hard to trust for fantasy purposes after finishing as a top-12 PPR tight end just twice in 2025.

You’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice that Engram played in this game. The Bills are generally pretty strong against tight ends, but the Broncos didn’t seem too interested in getting Engram involved in this one. There’s a chance that changes next week with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham under center.

This was a fairly standard showing for the veteran tight end. Engram made himself available to a scrambling Bo Nix on the Broncos’ third drive, securing the backhand-flipped pass and turning upfield for seven yards. Unfortunately, it was third down, and the Broncos needed 15. Engram made a nice play on a post route in the third quarter, though, finding a soft spot in the Chargers’ zone before hauling in a 37-yard gain. Engram is on bye next week, with the Broncos having secured the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.

Engram remained stuck in a committee, splitting reps with Adam Trautman on Christmas. Trautman caught two balls for 24 yards. Engram has nine catches for 77 yards in the month of December. He is barely on the TE2 menu for Week 18 versus the Chargers.