Sean Payton still views Evan Engram as ‘key piece’ for the Broncos

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram had a bit of an underwhelming first year with team.

Billed as “the Joker” in Sean Payton’s offense, Engram never lived up to the hype after signing a two-year, $23 million contract last offseason.

Engram did finish with 50 catches, but for only 461 yards and one touchdown. It seemed like him and QB Bo Nix were never quite on the same page.

Still, the Broncos didn’t do anything to bolster the position this spring, other than retain some of their own tight ends. It looks like Evan Engram will be back in orange and blue.

And during his pre-draft press conference on Thursday, Payton was asked point blank if Denver still views Engram as a key piece on the roster.

“We definitely view him as a key piece,” Payton said. “Relative to Evan, he’s someone that gave us a lot of big plays a year ago and we will continue to find ways to keep him and add to his workload.”

Other than his huge 41-yard catch in OT against the Commanders it’s hard to remember a ton of “big plays” from Evan Engram, but Payton is backing his guy.

A lot of fans want the Broncos to take a tight end with the No. 62 overall pick, their first of the draft, and Payton elaborated on what he sees at the position.

“I would say this about this class in my opinion, if you are looking for a blocking ‘Y’, there are a handful available that would be targeted. If you are looking for a move, maybe a little bit undersized ‘F’, they are out there. To each his own, the different type of tight ends are available. It’s always a challenge with that position because sometimes you are projecting maybe in an offense that is playing them differently,” Payton said.

Of course before the draft the Broncos aren’t going to give away their strategy. However, Payton did note that tight ends with unique skillsets are available.

We’ll see which direction Denver ultimately goes, but Evan Engram will likely be Nix’s No. 1 option at the position during the 2026 season.

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