The Denver Broncos could be entering training camp with one of their biggest concerns already fading away, although it won't fade completely until the regular season rolls around.
For the past few offseasons, one of the team's biggest perceived weaknesses has been the tight end position. It was supposed to be fixed overnight with the addition of free agent Evan Engram, who has been one of the most productive pass-catching options at the position since he came into the league back in 2017.
But in his first year with the Broncos, Engram had quite possibly the worst year of his NFL career. Statistically, it was the worst he'd had since 2021 with the New York Giants, but considering the expectations of being a big-money signing, the disappointment weighed heavily on everyone, especially Engram.
Entering training camp with renewed optimism and a clean slate in his second season, the concern of last season has already started to fade after a strong showing during OTAs from Engram.
Evan Engram's second season with the Broncos could quickly erase 2025 struggles
The word out of Denver Broncos OTAs and minicamp was that Engram was heavily involved in the passing game, and productive when he was targeted.
There's not much more reporting on the specifics of what was seen because Sean Payton doesn't allow that, but there is undoubtedly some renewed optimism after everything we saw last season.
Engram finished the 2025 season with 50 receptions for 461 yards on just 42 percent of the offensive snaps. That represented a ridiculous increase from the season prior, when Adam Trautman led all Broncos tight ends with just 188 receiving yards.
Engram's production over the course of the season, although sporadic, was mission-critical. He came up huge in wins against the Eagles, Giants, and Commanders -- all of which were one-score wins that helped the Broncos secure the #1 seed in the AFC.
Not that it was completely Sean Payton's fault, but with Davis Webb now calling the plays for the offense, there may be even more reason to believe that Engram's role in the offense will expand. He admitted after the season that he didn't know on a week-to-week basis what to expect in terms of his involvement, and with the skill set he brings to the table, that's an unacceptable approach from the team.
Engram has the ability to be the offense's version of the "easy button" and we saw it on a variety of occasions last season. We simply didn't see it consistently.
There's no doubt that last season's usage of Engram was concerning. Seeing that he played only 42 percent of the snaps, and that the Broncos were bottom-10 in the NFL in usage of multiple tight end sets, it could be a simple shift in offensive philosophy that allows Engram to be more heavily featured, even if he doesn't need to be targeted 120 times.
Engram could even be more effective with fewer opportunities if he's given more chances to run after the catch, or even to be used more as a vertical threat down the field. Whatever it ends up looking like, it seems like the Broncos' coaching staff is already putting it in the plans for 2026 even before camp gets underway.
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