Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings: Evan Engram Vs. David Njoku

Almost every expert agrees that we should all be drafting Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and George Kittle as the first three tight ends in our fantasy football drafts this year. It gets a lot murkier after that, however, as one could make a valid argument for at least six or seven players to be taken as TE4 through TE10.

Two of those players are Evan Engram of the Denver Broncos and David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns. If you don’t go tight end early, there’s a very good chance you’ll be left picking between these two as your starting fantasy tight end. Let’s dive in and see which pick you should click if you’re faced with drafting David Njoku or Evan Engram.

TE David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

The good news here is that Njoku is coming off one of the best seasons in his career despite playing just 11 games. The 29-year-old’s 63 receptions, 97 targets, and five receiving touchdowns were the second-highest totals of his career, and he’ll again exist in a Browns offense with very little weaponry outside of Jerry Jeudy.

However, Njoku’s yards per reception dipped under 10 (7.9 to be exact) for the first time since 2019, and things don’t look to be shaping up much better with the uncertainty at quarterback for the Browns. Whether it’s Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, or Shedeur Sanders, Njoku’s 2025 fantasy production is likely to take a hit due to the Browns lackluster quarterback options.

TE Evan Engram, Denver Broncos

Evan Engram has had a strange NFL career to-date as he put up his best season at 29 years old in 2023. A large part of that production inconsistency has been centered around his consistent injury history that limited him to 15 games or less in four of his first five NFL seasons. And he’s now coming off another injury-plagued season during which he only played nine games.

All is not lost, however, as Engram will enter a fantasy-friendly offense under Sean Payton in Denver and has a chance to be the second receiving option for the Broncos behind Courtland Sutton. There’s still some risk here as Engram is now 31 years old, but he has a great opportunity in front of him as quarterback Bo Nix attempts to take the next step in his second NFL season.

The Verdict

While Njoku still has a good shot at finishing as a top-10 tight end, his upside is limited due to the Browns quarterback option. If he does finish as a TE1, it will likely be on the low-end of that range.

Engram, on the other hand, likely has a wider range of outcomes with a lower floor, but has a higher ceiling due to the offense he’s playing in – and the quarterback throwing the ball in that offense.

Njoku is currently ranked as our TE7, while Engram is currently ranked as our TE9. The difference isn’t huge in terms of draft capital, but I’d prefer to take Engram (and his upside) at a lower pick if that’s how the draft board plays out.