New York Giants receiving core most upgraded unit after 2017 NFL Draft

Sep 17, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Evan Engram (17) runs downfield on a play that would result in a touchdown during the second quarter of the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Giants receiving core was named one of the most upgraded units after the 2017 NFL Draft by ESPN’s Matt Bowen.

The New York Giants had one of the more surprising picks in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. With the 23rd overall pick, the Giants selected Ole Miss tight end, Evan Engram. Engram was moving up draft boards after an impressive combine. The Giants passed on a more polished prospect in Miami tight end David Njoku for the freakishly athletic Engram.

Engram gives the Giants a difference maker up the seams in the middle of the field. Eli Manning has made the most out of less talented tight ends such as Jake Ballard, Kevin Boss, and most recently Larry Donnell. Engram gives them a legitimate weapon to go along with their already impressive receiving corps.

Engram will join a loaded wide receiver group that includes Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and free agent Brandon Marshall. Engram is near the size of Marshall and should wreck havoc with the other players garnering so much attention.

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Right off the bat, the Giants have filled a big need from last season. Giants tight ends were the worst in the NFL last season in yards per reception. Engram, while he has his faults, will improve upon that immediately.

Engram is not a good blocker, as he was used basically as a slot receiver for the Rebels last season. He was rarely inline, so the Giants will have to get creative when deploying him. He has the skill set to line up in a number of different places on the field.

That should give the Giants offense that was very vanilla last season a different look. So much so, ESPN’s Matt Bowen believes the Giants receiving corps were one of the most upgraded positions following the 2017 NFL Draft.

Engram was the only receiver that the Giants added in the draft. Bowen liked the move, as the Giants receiving corp were one of the four teams on the list. Here is part of what Bowen said about the Giants receiving corps in the article.

"The Giants live in three-wide-receiver personnel under Ben McAdoo. It’s their base package. That’s why New York went out in free agency and added wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The veteran has the size and ball skills to create matchups playing alongside Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard. And this unit got even more explosive after the Giants drafted Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram in the first round.At 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, Engram isn’t a traditional tight end. He’s more of an H-back or a big slot receiver. With his speed (4.42 40) and route-running ability, the Giants can flex Engram into the slot, align him on the backside of a 3×1 formation and isolate him in the red zone."

The Giants signed tight end/H-back Rhett Ellison in the offseason. He should handle the blocking duties, making Engram the Giants move tight end. This is something the Giants have seen a ton of during NFC East play. The Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins all have tight ends that would fall into the move category.

The Redskins’ tight end, Jordan Reed, is actually who many people compare Engram to. If Engram can become the difference maker that Reed has, without the injuries, the Giants are getting quite the player.

Next: Ranking The Giants 2017 Draft Class Pick By Pick

It would be better if Engram provided more in the blocking department. But, for now, Ben McAdoo and his staff will have to figure out how to overcome that deficiency to get him on the field.

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