Evan Engram Has Clearly Earned More Trust Based on Broncos Minicamp

Evan Engram's first year with the Denver Broncos didn't quite meet expectations. Sean Payton struggled to involve Engram as more than a safety-valve target for Bo Nix, and the veteran tight end's blocking inconsistencies meant that he didn't see the field as much as the Broncos hoped he would.

Fast forward to mandatory minicamp, and we may not have further answers yet on Engram's blocking acumen, but he's looking better than ever as a receiver. With new offensive coordinator Davis Webb taking over the play-calling duties, Engram could be trusted to be a bigger part of the offense.

It's not like Engram was a complete wash in Year 1. He finished third on the team with 50 receptions for 461 yards, but he only scored one touchdown. It came in Week 5's road win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He was mostly a non-factor in the red zone.

With a year in the scheme under his belt, Engram's got the verbiage down now, for sure. Webb's promotion could see Engram be more than the check-down option he was in 2025, and with the arrival of the speedster Jaylen Waddle, whose presence will demand defensive attention and loosen things up inside and over the middle, this could be a bigger tight end year for the Broncos.

Improved Timing

Timing may have been an issue that held Engram back last year, too. Timing within the route concepts of each play is important, as is the ideal timing required to be on the same page as the quarterback.

Reading between the lines of what Payton said about Engram earlier this month, and what we saw during minicamp, it seems that aspect of the tight end's game has improved with experience and the additional reps of the offseason training program.

“He’s doing well. He’s moving well. He’s extending plays," Payton said of Engram on June 11. "Again, it’s a little easier for those guys that are further away from the ball in these types of OTAs than the linemen. Yet it’s important timing, and it’s important for him in his second year. He’s doing a good job with it.”

Tight Ends Key to Offensive Growth

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) catches a pass during OTAs at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. | Gabriel Christus/DenverBroncos.com

The Broncos have fielded a bottom-five tight end group, based on key receiving and blocking metrics, for the past several years. The hope was that Engram was going to improve Denver's output at the position, but he didn't.

And yet, when the 2026 offseason hit, the Broncos re-signed almost all their free-agent tight ends, including Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, and Nate Adkins. The only tight end Denver didn't bring back was Marcedes Lewis, but he's on the wrong side of 40 and spent the vast majority of his time with the Broncos on the practice squad.

Pro Bowl wideout Courtland Sutton was glad to see the Broncos reup with Trautman, Krull, and Adkins. Sutton liked what he saw from Denver's tight ends this offseason.

"The tight ends look really good," Sutton said last week. "Getting those guys going is really big. When every piece of our offense is able to contribute, that's where our offense is going to grow and help us win games. Everybody looks really, really good so far."

Sutton was speaking generally, but he did highlight Engram during his remarks. Throw in the Broncos' two draft picks, Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley, along with 2025 seventh-rounder Drew Sanders, and the position has plenty of potential. It's just lacking proven production, beyond Engram, and his contributions in 2025 left much to be desired.

The Broncos still have big plans for their No. 1 tight end, but Engram is on the books this year for a $14.1 million salary-cap charge. With a $10.9 million base salary, the Broncos need more out of him than 461 yards.

The Takeaway

All this being said, Engram looked really sharp during minicamp, punctuating the offseason training program well and establishing momentum heading into training camp in July.

Engram is getting the timing of the offense down better in his second offseason with the Broncos. Combined with his year of experience with Nix in the scheme, Webb taking over the play-calling, and Waddle's arrival, Engram could be trusted to do more in 2026. Here's to hoping.

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