Giants' 2020 Roster Report Card: Grading the Tight Ends

Last year, the Giants tight ends—Evan Engram, Rhett Ellison, Scott Simonson, and Kaden Smith—were targeted 133 times out of 607 attempts (21.9%) in the passing game. And the reason for that number being lower than anticipated was due primarily to Engram’s missing half of the season.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys offense last year, based on concepts favored by Jason Garrett, made use of the tight end even less—they were targeted on 107 out of 597 pass attempts, 17.9%.

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What does this mean for the Giants in the upcoming season? Many people believe the Giants will deploy a lot of 12-personnel (2-tight end sets), but again, using trends from last season, the Cowboys offense only did so on 18% of their offensive snaps versus the Giants doing so on 17% of their snaps, per Sharp Football Stats.

That’s not to say that the tight end position won’t have a significant role on offense. As head coach Joe Judge has been saying all along, the goal appears to be featuring different players each week on offense, depending on the matchups. And if that player or group happens to be the tight ends, whom the Giants are expecting to be multiple, then so be it.

Roster Locks: Evan Engram, Levine Toilolo, Kaden Smith

The Giants are all in on fourth-year tight end Evan Engram, who, despite his injury issues, has intriguing talent that the Giants aren’t quite ready to give up on.

The problem (besides the injuries) is that Engram is more of a “tweener talent” who, while a willing blocker, doesn’t boast blocking as a strength. What Engram does have, assuming again that he’s completely recovered from his foot surgery, is legit long speed and a good awareness of where the first down marker is.

With Engram, keep an eye on how he moves, as if he’s lost anything off his speed and explosiveness, that won’t be a promising development.

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Levine Toilolo, acquired as a UFA this off-season from the 49ers, might be one of the most underrated free-agent signings by the Giants. Toilolo is primarily a blocker, but he can also be serviceable in the passing game.

Since entering the league in 2013, he has 101 receptions for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns, and he’s significantly reduced his drops, which peaked at six when he was with the Falcons in 2014 to just three drops (and none in the last two seasons) since.

Toilolo’s blocking should provide some added oomph on an offensive line, which could have as many as two new players (Andrew Thomas at right tackle and Spencer Pulley projected at center). He doesn’t have Engram’s deep-threat speed or ability to separate, but what he can bring to the passing game is that bulldozer mentality, which often sees him lower his shoulder and plow through would-be tacklers.

Kaden Smith, who started last season as a teammate of Toilolo’s on the 49ers, turned out to be a nice pickup for the Giants. He regularly handled defensive ends one-on-one, executed some nice pulls, and caught just about everything thrown his way, finishing with 31 catches and three touchdowns in only six games. Most impressive of all was how well he ran his patterns and read coverages, which enabled him to play faster than his 4.92 40-yard dash time.

Likely Backup: Eric Tomlinson

If the Giants go with four tight ends, Tomlinson might have the edge given his versatility. Tomlinson is a solid enough run blocker who deploys textbook technique. He has won more in-line battles than he’s lost and at 6'7” and 275 pounds, when he latches onto a defender, his ability to finish off his blocks usually sends his guy to the ground or well out of the way.

Tomlinson initially spent time with the Jets, signing as an undrafted free agent out of UTEP in 2016. As a receiver, Tomlinson has caught 17 out of 26 pass targets for 194 yards and seven touchdowns.

He does a solid job finding soft spots in the coverage, and his size can create some advantageous matchups. He also has good hands, rarely dropping passes.

Tomlinson doesn’t have the speed or athletic ability of an Evan Engram, but he can be a nice change of pace option who, thanks to his size and strength, is challenging to bring down.

Bubble Guys: Kyle Markway, Garrett Dickerson, Rysen John

Of these three, Garrett Dickerson has NFL experience, having appeared in eight games over two seasons for the Giants (he has no recorded stats on offense). Based on his minimal sample size, Dickerson appears to be more of a move tight end than an in-line blocker, his blocking in need of improvement.

He would be eligible for the practice squad again this year, but with some younger and more intriguing talent behind him, it might be difficult for the Englewood, New Jersey native to hang around.

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Rysen John is an interesting prospect. A receiver by trade who played his college ball in Canada (Simon Fraser) and who led his college’s conference in catches and yards per game, the 6’7”, 237-pound John has decent enough speed (4.6) considering his size. He also has had success as a perimeter blocker.

However, transitioning to tight end where the action is closer to the line of scrimmage (and the blocking assignments different), is not something that can be done overnight.

John has options if the NFL doesn’t work out. He was drafted in the third round by the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL and could opt to return to the CFL as a big receiving target if his transition to tight end doesn’t work out.

Kyle Markway is an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina who lost two of his college seasons due to injury. He was primarily used as a blocking tight end in South Carolina's offense, catching 37 balls (31 last year) for 459 yards and three touchdowns.

Markway missed the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the former with a foot injury and the latter with a rib injury. Ironically, he saw an expanded role on offense last season due to injuries at the position. Still, the reality is that Markway would appear to have a long road to go because of all the time lost between redshirting and injuries.

Grade: B

There's a lot to like in this group from a potential perspective...if the talent stays healthy.

The thought of Engram being used more like a receiver to create some intriguing mismatches en route to having a breakout season is enough reason to get excited about this group. But let's not forget the presence of Toilolo, which was a very underrated move made in the preseason.

Toilolo is a solid blocker who can also be that sneaky good receiver when called upon. Having a solid blocking tight end on an offensive line with a veteran tackle coming off one of his worst seasons on one side and a rookie on another is a smart move and one that should pay dividends.

The one player I'm interested in seeing is Smith. I think his versatility is going to be one of those things that maybe allows for offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to add some additional wrinkles to the offense that most teams who don't have two solid tight ends, let alone three aren't.

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