Engram has more confidence, old friend in his corner in second Broncos season

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For Broncos tight end Evan Engram, last year was not the type of season to which he was accustomed.

On the positive side, Engram’s campaign ended in the AFC Championship Game. In his first eight NFL seasons spent with the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, he’d played in just two playoff contests — both with the Jaguars in January 2023. They bowed out in the divisional round, so Engram came closer to a Super Bowl than at any point in his career.

Engram had never been on a team that won more than nine regular-season contests prior to last season; the Broncos matched a franchise record with 14 regular-season wins. So, from a team perspective, it was something new.

But he also found himself standing on the sideline watching the offense work more than at any point in his career. The array of personnel groupings used by the Broncos — and their willingness to play their more blocking-oriented tight ends, which included Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and midseason pickup Marcedes Lewis — meant that he ended up playing 42 percent of the offensive snaps during the 16 regular-season games he played.

In his previous eight seasons, that figure had never been lower than 67 percent. It was in the 70s during each of this three Jaguars campaigns.

“A lot of the stuff that was different was out of my control. I can only do the most with the opportunity that I get,” Engram said last January. “There were times I had opportunities, there were times they were slim.

Wednesday at Broncos training camp, Engram reflected on his 2025 season — when he said he “learned a lot.”

But the most important lesson of the year?

“I think honestly, just being ready whenever my number was called,” Engram reflected.

“There were times my number was called early. There were times where my number was called late. I think in a lot of years of my career, I kind of always knew when my number was going to be called early, middle, late game in the offense.

“This offense, we have so many guys, so many different personnel [groupings], so many ways to attack a defense. I kind of had to learn to be ready at all times and be ready in those unpredictable moments.

“So, I think I’ve my game has grown a lot because of that. Because now whenever I step out on the field, whenever our number is called, whenever the team needs me, I’ll be ready to go.”

That sort of self-reflection can do wonders. It also helps that Engram has a long-time friend now calling the plays.

HOW THE BRONCOS’ PROMOTION OF DAVIS WEBB COULD UNLOCK ENGRAM

Engram and Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb go back 10 seasons, to their rookie campaign with the New York Giants. Webb was a third-round pick — No. 87 overall — while Engram was the highly-touted Round 1 selection. Engram got on the field in a hurry and stayed there, while Webb didn’t finally take a regular-season snap until 2021 — and by then he was a member of the Buffalo Bills.

So, when the two players were together, all of Webb’s on-field work was in practice. But Engram saw some attributes in Webb’s play that are manifesting in his offensive philosophy.

“We were together in New York, he wasn’t the starter, but he got to sling it around a lot in practice,” Engram recalled. “Being the scout-team guy and giving the defense looks, he was always trying to air it out and make plays and give the defense problems.

“And that’s kind of how he’s working to be right now. Obviously we’re gonna be heavy in the pass game — heavy in the run game, as well — but he wants to attack defenses; he wants to score points; he wants to play fast; he wants everybody to be on the same page. He’s very energetic, very animated, and I think the entire offense is responding really well to him.”

And on Wednesday, Engram caught multiple passes. As training camp has progressed, Engram has asserted himself as a downfield target in a way that differs from last year, when his average depth of target was 4.4 yards, the lowest of his career.

The collective result of the reflection on last year, Webb’s tweaks and the comfort level of his second Broncos camp is a more confident Engram.

“I think there’s a level of confidence relative to where he’s at and what he’s doing,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said earlier in training camp. “You could see him play faster with that foundation, I feel that. Then that thing called confidence comes when you’re consistently doing it and I think we’re all seeing that.”

For more from Wednesday’s work, watch the embedded video.

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